The contemporary pop art cherry blossom landscape ‘ Justice' 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 Foundation Cartier in Paris, July 2021. Signed and numbered on verso, ‘ Justice' is a limited edition of 1,067 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 on 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 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 later 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." To Hirst, Cherry Blossoms represent beauty and life and death. In describing the piece, he says “They’re extreme—there’s something almost tacky about them. Like Jackson Pollock twisted by love. They’re decorative but taken from nature. They’re about desire and how we process the things around us and what we turn them into, but also about the insane visual transience of beauty—a tree in full crazy blossom against a clear sky.” Throughout his process making them he exclaims that “It’s been so good to make them, to be completely lost in color and in paint in my studio. They’re garish and messy and fragile and about me moving away from minimalism and the idea of an imaginary mechanical painter and that’s so exciting for me.” 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, ‘ Justice’ is completed with non-glare UV protective glass and sealed in a satin white finish.

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. He is one of the most notorious artists of his generation. 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. In an interview with Tate, he said “I like work that says one thing and then denies it at the same time. I don’t think there are answers I think there are only questions. I think it’s for viewers to decide what the answers are.” 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 from Tokyo to New York City and his work has been included in over 260 group shows. Damien Hirst works in a limitless way, crossing several different mediums and themes in his work and mastering all emotions. 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, the psychological themes and clever symbolism explored in the work of Francis Bacon 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. To learn more about Damien Hirst and see other available artworks, please visit our website.