Damien Hirst (b. 1965, Bristol) is one of the most influential and provocative figures in contemporary art. A leading member of the Young British Artists (YBAs), Hirst rose to prominence in the 1990s with a practice that confronts themes of life, death, science, religion, and consumerism through sculpture, painting, installation, and mixed media. His work is known for its dramatic use of materials—formaldehyde-preserved animals, surgical instruments, pharmaceutical packaging, diamonds, and butterflies—encased in vitrines or arranged in highly polished displays.Hirst first gained attention while still a student at Goldsmiths College when he curated Freeze (1988), the seminal exhibition that launched the YBAs. He won the Turner Prize in 1995 and became closely associated with collector Charles Saatchi, before breaking away in 2003. His landmark work The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991)—a tiger shark suspended in formaldehyde—became an icon of 1990s British art and epitomized his Natural History series.Known for his exploration of repetition, belief, and spectacle, Hirst has produced major series including the Spot Paintings (1986–), Pharmaceutical Cabinets (1988–2012), and Butterfly Paintings (2001–08). His controversial For the Love of God (2007)—a platinum-cast human skull encrusted with 8,601 diamonds—underscored his fascination with mortality, beauty, and value.In 2008, Hirst made headlines by bypassing galleries and auctioning an entire show directly at Sotheby’s, raising over £111 million. His 2017 exhibition Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable filled the Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana in Venice with imagined artifacts and questioned the boundaries between myth, truth, and artifice.Hirst’s work is held in major public collections including Tate, MoMA, and the Gagosian Gallery network. He lives and works in London and founded the Newport Street Gallery in 2015 to share his art collection with the public.

Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst, a poster boy for the Young British Artists who rose to prominence in late 1980s London, is one of the most notorious artists of his generation.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Damien_Hirst_Theodora__Content_Sheet_UPDATED_2023.pdf

“Theodora” belongs to “The Empresses”, a series of five glorious prints carefully composed of butterfly wings that create a kaleidoscope effect and are placed on a flaming red background. Each work has been carefully screen printed with glitter coat which offers that gleaming effect on them. Each Empress from this series is named after five exceptionally influential female rulers: Wu Zetian (624-705), Nūr Jahān (1577-1645), Theodora (c. 490-548), Suiko (554-628) and Taytu Betul (1851-1918). Their characters and stories are enhanced by the dominant red tone of the series, which deals with themes such as life, war, power, anger, love, joy and luck.
Extraordinarily complex and dynamic, Theodora is named for the great Byzantine empress who used  her intelligence and savvy to create lasting change in the empire. Born into the lowest class of  Byzantine society, Theodora (497-548 CE) rose to power in 527 CE following her marriage to  Emperor Justinian. She left a significant impact on the region, namely through implementing new  religious and social policies. Indeed, Theodora’s power over the empire left many to wonder if it was her and not Justinian that ruled.

The Empresses presented by Arianna Perini

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—Damien Hirst