From 3rd February, purchasers and NFT deed holders now have the chance to explore 'The Empresses' and their intricate details up close and in person at the HENI Gallery in Soho.
'The Empresses' (H10) prints consist of butterflies, meticulously organised into varying patterns – symmetrical, asymmetrical, and spiralling. These images exude hope and life. To the viewer, the butterflies appear almost to be taking flight. This effect is aided by the material - laminated Giclée print on aluminium composite, screen-printed with glitter, which allows the butterfly wings to be presented in such great detail that they appear lifelike.
The images of wings inspire awe and are highlighted with frames of glitter, a fantastically tactile material previously used by Hirst in his paintings. Glitter is loved for its playfulness and joy – a sentiment echoed in the play-on-words of the series title itself, which alludes to both the female rulers that inspired it and the Empress Butterfly.
Hirst has consistently used butterflies in his art for their associations with freedom, religion, life, and death. 'The Empresses' illuminates and further explores these themes. In this new series, those themes become intertwined with stories of glory, female power, and the development of nations, expressed and celebrated in the twists and turns that lend vitality to these dazzling visual compositions.
HENI Gallery
1st Floor,
6-10 Lexington St,
London, W1F 0LB
Open Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm
Open Sat-Sun, 10am-6pm (during exhibitions)