Damien Hirst

Standing before Damien Hirst's "Taytu Betul," one immediately senses that this is not mere decoration, but power. This work is the crowning achievement of the five-part "The Empresses" series, in which Hirst pays tribute to five historically significant female rulers. Named after the Ethiopian Empress Taytu Betul, a ruler as strategic as she was fearless, who repelled colonial powers in the late 19th century, the work radiates precisely this unwavering strength.

Hirst utilizes his iconic butterfly motif here, but arranges it in a radical, spiral symmetry that inevitably draws the eye to its center. Technically, we are dealing with an absolutely high-end work: it is not a simple print, but a laminated giclée print on a heavy aluminum composite panel. This choice of support is crucial, as it lends the work an object-like weight, making it appear more like a panel than a painting. The surface has been embellished with an elaborate glitter screen print. The result is astonishing: depending on the light in the room, the red and black begin to vibrate, the wings seeming to float almost three-dimensionally above the cool aluminum.

Damien Hirst, the "enfant terrible" of the Young British Artists, masterfully plays here with his timeless themes: beauty, death, and immortality. By transforming the fleeting moment of a butterfly's life into a rigid, glittering monument, he preserves beauty for eternity. At 100 x 100 cm, "Taytu Betul" is a dominant statement piece that immediately takes center stage in any collection—just like the Empress after whom it is named. The work is signed and numbered on the reverse, guaranteeing the authenticity of this important piece from 2022.