Damien Hirst: Cerisiers en fleurs

With 107 works, Cherry Blossoms marks a new chapter in Damien Hirst’s exploration of the relationship between artist and canvas—an idea he first began with his Spot Paintings in 1986.

Hirst describes the cherry blossoms as “garish and messy and fragile,” signaling a shift away from minimalism and the idea of a mechanical painter toward a more expressive, imperfect approach.

Through these richly colored works, Hirst explores beauty, excess, and the unpredictable nature of paint. The series both references and pays tribute to the pictorial traditions of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Cherry Blossoms was presented at the Fondation Cartier in Paris in 2021, marking Damien Hirst’s first museum exhibition in France.