Damien Hirst is perhaps the master of all things dots. From his infamous Spot Series to his Visual Candy paintings, the artist has long explored the motif in countless styles. And though his new Cherry Blossom paintings are a continuation of the speckled signature, the series marks a culminated shift. Unlike his infamous early Spot Paintings—mainly crafted by assistants with a mechanical-like precision in their candy-coated perfection, the Cherry Blossoms fully embrace the return of the artist’s hand—imbued with life, vitality, and messiness. “It’s been so good to make them. I’ve been completely lost in color and paint in my studio,” Hirst tells the Fondation Cartier, appearing paint-drenched in his workspace as he hops from canvas to canvas.
Crafting the paintings over three years, including during the course of the pandemic, the artist aptly chose a theme to celebrate beauty in nature just as it was showing its most harrowing side: cherry blossoms in full bloom under a crisp blue sky, an image so perfect he declares it garish and almost tacky. With pieces named Renewal Blossom, Excitement Blossom, and even The Triumph of Death Blossom, the near-decorative subject matter is tinged with a gravitas—and with it, a bit of Hirst’s signature irony.
The massive canvases are perfectly brought to life at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. Designed by Jean Nouvel in 1994, the lofty steel and glass structure is centered among a field of lush greenery, engulfing museumgoers in a vibrant natural oasis through views of the outdoors as well as the canvases. After two COVID-related delays, the show debuts just in time for summer, featuring 30 of the 107 canvases selected by Hirst and Hervé Chandès (the general director of the Fondation Cartier). The exhibition will remain on view until January 2022.
