The contemporary pop art cherry blossom 'Honour' is one of the eight from the iconic ‘Virtues’ series by Damien Hirst, the laminated giclée print on aluminum panel was created in 2021 as a reflection of his latest exploration as a master contemporary Artist, mirroring the series of 107 ‘Cherry Blossom’ paintings which were exhibited for the first time at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, July 2021. Signed and numbered on verso, ‘Honesty' is of the limited edition of 728 in existence. Saturated with vibrant splatters of paint, each work is titled after one of The Eight Virtues of Bushidō according to Nitobe Inazō (Justice, Courage, Mercy, Politeness, Honesty, Honour, Loyalty, and Control.) The series encapsulates Hirst’s iconic oeuvre, as he commented of the series, "What I loved about them at first, was the way that they were kind of in between representational and abstract. I always imagined them looking from underneath, at the canopy; they didn't have an up or down. But then towards the end, I started painting the trunk, and they became much more rooted in the ground. And I became happier with them looking a bit more like a tree, which I became afraid of. Maybe that's why the trunks became more part of it, because in the beginning of the whole series, I was thinking more about being disconnected from the earth, whereas by the end of it, I wanted to be firmly rooted." Fascinated by the beauty of the natural world’s capability for renewal and growth, Hirst found a way to bring his motif of universal triggers into the focus of the series while simultaneously exploring his depth as a contemporary painter in the ever-changing world of contemporary art. Hirst said this of his process while creating, “I feel alive when I'm painting them. So I'm putting my life into it. It's a lot, you , know, of climbing up a ladder, throwing paint, mixing big buckets, chinking them on the canvas from far away - all that energy of life is actually caught in the paint." Arriving ready-to-install in a custom frame comprised of museum caliber materials, ‘Honesty’ is completed with non-glare UV protective glass and sealed in a satin white finish. To learn more about our collection of blue chip artworks by Damien Hirst, please visit our website: www.artoncontemporary.com.

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 global sensation. As a result of the show, Hirst was nominated for that year's Turner Prize. Hirst later won the Turner Prize in 1995 for the work, 'Mother and Child Divided'. Known best for his use of symbols, the 'Universal Triggers' utilized throughout his career have instant relatability in connection with universal questions about life, death, love and everything in between. Hirst is well recognized for his spot paintings, medicine cabinet motifs, brightly colored spin paintings, kaleidoscopic butterflies, large-scale sculptural installations and diamond-encrusted skulls. Since 1987, there have been over 80 solo Damien Hirst exhibitions that have taken place worldwide and his work has been included in over 260 group shows. Damien Hirst's impact on the art world has had a similar effect to that of the contemporary masters before him, with similarities to be drawn from the monumental pop art work of Andy Warhol, the street-art sensation installation master Keith Haring, the expressive and vibrant paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat, and innovative approach of Marcel Duchamp. Damien Hirst continues to work and create art in the present day, with his recent focus primarily on paintings.