Damien Hirst, Taytu Betal [H10-5] , 2022

In Taytu Betul, Damien Hirst masterfully captures the essence of movement through an intricate spiral composition of butterfly wings, paying homage to the formidable Ethiopian empress. The artwork's dynamic arrangement features striking red and black wings that radiate from the center, creating a compelling vortex effect that extends beyond the picture plane. This visual momentum brilliantly echoes the historical figure's fierce leadership and military prowess.

Taytu Betul distinguishes itself within Hirst's oeuvre through its unique aerial perspective and exceptional portrayal of butterflies in their living state. The artist strategically employs additional wings of varying sizes, colours, and patterns as a secondary visual element, enhancing the work's depth and complexity. Through this sophisticated composition, Hirst creates a powerful parallel between natural beauty and historical significance while exploring his recurring themes of life, death, and transformation. The artwork's namesake's role in founding Addis Ababa and her steadfast resistance to imperialism adds profound historical resonance to this visually dynamic piece.

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The striking Empresses series are composed of beautiful red butterfly wings, which are intricately arranged with a filigree of red glitter to produce visually intoxicating kaleidoscope-like effects. The editions are named after five exceptionally influential female rulers: Wu Zetian, Nur Jahan, Theodora, Suiko and Taytu Betul. 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.

Since the beginning of his career, Hirst has interacted with the butterfly, one of his best-known motifs. Inspired by a chance encounter in his studio and the intricate patterns found on Victorian tea trays, The Empresses Hirst develops on the complex compositions he invented in his Kaleidoscope Paintings and Mandalas series.

The Empresses prints are symmetrical, asymmetrical, and spiral patterns of meticulously organised butterflies that nonetheless exude hope and life – the butterflies feel like they are taking flight. This effect is partly aided by the material, laminated Giclée print on aluminium composite, screen printed with glitter, which allows the butterfly wings to be presented in such detail that they appear lifelike. The images of wings inspire awe and are framed by 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 female rulers and the Empress Butterfly. Hirst has consistently used butterflies for their associations to freedom, religion, life and death. The Empresses illuminates and sheds light on these themes. Through this series, these themes become intertwined with glory, female power and the development of nations, visible through the entrancing twists and turns of these five dazzling and vital visual celebrations.

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Damien Hirst U. K. , 1965

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