Damien Hirst Sanctum For Sale

Sanctum is a series of six etchings created by the artist in 2009. In each example, a small central butterfly is surrounded by cascading, kaleidoscopic wings. The artful geometry and prismatic colours exemplify the joyful inspiration found in one of Hirst’s favourite motifs, the butterfly, seen in the artist’s body of work since his first solo exhibition in 1991. Aside from drawing upon nature, the style of the series is reminiscent of stained-glass windows; a theme that Hirst had also explored in a 2007 series devoted to them, entitled Cathedrals. The patterns of Sanctum are concentric, allowing giving the present series a more multi-cultural, Eastern influence in its similarity to the Mandala. Each print is named according to a feature of a sacred space or building; Altar, Belfry, Chancel, Dome, Minaret, and Spire. In these titles, Hirst also combines Church architecture with that of a Mosque, signalling that Hirst’s vision is spiritual, rather than relegated to one religion. 

Butterflies have multi-faceted, symbolic meaning for Hirst and appear in some of his most seminal works. The artist has never shied away from the subject of mortality, from sharks suspended in formaldehyde (The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living) to diamond-encrusted skulls. Butterflies – delicate and fragile, also represent death in their fleeting life cycle, whilst being an object of beauty and preservation. In Sanctum butterflies still represent death, but it is an image that points to a lineage of the symbol in religions – in Medieval Christian art, the butterfly was often depicted as a symbol of the resurrection. They can also represent souls, and indeed Hirst’s later exhibition entitled Souls (2011) featuring rows butterflies directly treats the insects as such. By their integration into sacred spaces in the style of stained glass and titles, they express the immortality of the soul or spirit.  

Often known for his status as a provocateur and enfant terrible of the contemporary art world , the simultaneously dazzling and tranquil appear of the etchings of the Sanctum series offer an insight into the more reflective and contemplative parts of Hirst’s work.