Damien Hirst displays his cherry blossoms in a big way

Huge and colorful like Smarties: British artist Damien Hirst presents part of his series “Cherry Blossoms” in Paris.

The oversized plates, often in pairs or triplets, evoke associations with the spring cherry blossom season. However, vivid images closely resemble abstract paintings. Damien Hirst has been working on the Cherry Blossoms series since 2018. Part of it can now be seen at the Fondation Cartier in Paris.

The British artist’s premiere exhibition in France will run until January 2, when he will display 30 of his latest works from his 107-piece “Cherry Blossoms” series. The countless, densely applied rasterism is reminiscent of the post-Impressionist painter Paul Seurat, and the energy with which it was applied to his movement painting style.

Turn to drawing

The 56-year-old appears to have distanced himself from his art as an important representative of the Young British Artists group in recent years. At the time, Hearst was best known for his provocative sculptures, such as the bodies of animals inlaid with formaldehyde or his diamond-encrusted human skull.

His previous series such as “Spot Paintings” and “Veil Paintings” already testify to his role in painting. He said he’s had a love affair with painting his whole life, even if he avoided it. As a young artist in the ’80s, drawing wasn’t really the right path for him.