‘Benevolence’ by Damien Hirst is a silkscreen print with glittering diamond dust and was originally inspired by a Victorian tea tray that Hirst found. The silkscreen works were created after the style of the original ‘Kaleidoscope’ paintings, made by placing thousands of different colored butterfly wings in intricate geometric patterns into household paint. The multi-color wings laid in precise formation, pay homage to Hirst’s first ‘Kaleidoscope’ painting, ‘It’s a Wonderful World’, created in 2001. The ‘Kaleidoscope’ paintings reference the spiritual symbolism of the butterfly, used by the Greeks to depict Psyche, the soul, and in Christian imagery to signify the resurrection. 'Benevolence' comes in a custom-made museum caliber frame with UV protective non-glare glass. The work is signed and numbered by the Artist on the lower front corners.

Damien Hirst is a British contemporary master artist and entrepreneur recognized for his iconic artworks that have defined the contemporary art world for over a decade. His varied practice, which includes installation, sculpture, painting, and drawing, explores the complex relationships between life, death, art, religion, and science. Hirst was born in Bristol in 1965 and grew up in Leeds, England. In 1984, he moved to London, where he worked in construction before enrolling at Goldsmiths University of London, in 1986 to study fine art. While at Goldsmiths, Hirst organized the independent student exhibition Freeze, which has become legendary as the originating moment of the Young British Artists (YBAs). Freeze, which exhibited Hirst’s first spot paintings, launched Hirst and 15 of his fellow students to fame, making their place in art history. In 1991, Charles Saatchi, offering to fund Hirst’s artwork, mounted the first Young British Artists (YBA) exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Among the works exhibited was The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991), a shark submerged in a formaldehyde vitrine, which became an overnight sensation. As a result of the show, Hirst was nominated for that year's Turner Prize. Hirst again won the Turner Prize in 1995 for his piece, Mother and Child Divided, which consists of a cow and a calf each bisected and held within its own glass case. Hirst is well recognized for his spot paintings, medicine cabinet motifs, brightly colored spin paintings, kaleidoscopic butterflies, and diamond-encrusted skulls. Since 1987, over 80 solo Damien Hirst exhibitions have taken place worldwide and his work has been included in over 260 group shows. He has permanent sculptural installations across the globe and is the UK's richest living artist. Hirst continues to work and create art in the present day, with his recent focus primarily on paintings.

To learn more about Damien Hirst and see other available artworks, please visit our website: www.artoncontemporary.com