Noriyoshi Ohrai

An Australian first-year-of-release movie poster for the Star Wars film The Empire Strikes Back.

• Noriyoshi Ohrai (Japanese, 1935-2015).
• 20th Century Fox.
• Linen backed.
• This work is presented unframed.

Directed by Irvin Kershner, The Empire Strikes Back took the saga into darker, richer territory and is widely seen as the standout film of the original trilogy. With Luke, Leia, Han and Vader all at their most iconic, it remains one of the defining science-fiction films of all time.

Ohrai’s artwork is a huge part of the appeal here, deemed one of the best designs for the title. Revered by collectors for his richly painted, epic style, he created some of the most dynamic imagery associated with the Star Wars universe. This design was only used on the Japanese promotional materials and select international posters, including Australia and on the scale of this Australian 1 sheet poster, Ohrai’s design looks simply spectacular.