J ulian Pace: Courtside opens at Sotheby’s Los Angeles, presenting an arresting series of large-scale paintings that celebrate the icons of basketball. Known for his distinctive use of exaggerated proportions and fluid linework, Pace captures the charisma and aura of legendary athletes in a style that is at once monumental and deeply personal. Through rich color palettes and sweeping brushstrokes, each portrait distills the dynamism of the game into still form, inviting viewers to see both the heroic and the human sides of these sports figures.
Building on his reputation for transforming familiar cultural symbols into objects of contemplation, Pace’s new body of work extends beyond mere likeness to evoke memory, fandom, and the collective language of sport. Courtside offers a thoughtful meditation on how basketball’s visual culture—from jerseys and gestures to the larger-than-life personas of its stars—becomes interwoven with personal identity and popular imagination. The exhibition is both an homage to basketball as a global phenomenon and a testament to Pace’s ability to translate its energy and spirit onto canvas.
