Empress Wu Zetian

Damien Hirst (b. 1965, British) “Wu Zetian” (2022) from the artist’s series of five prints known as “The Empresses”. This piece is signed and numbered 1223/2853 on the verso (Edition of 1284 (Physical Editions)/ 1569 (NFT Deed). It is a laminated giclee print on aluminum composite panel, screen printed with glitter. It measures 100 x 100 cm (39.4 x 39.4 inches). This glorious red composition consists of a pair of butterfly wings in the center that is surrounded by a circle of wings that blossom into another hexagon of wings. Each corner includes additional, intricate butterflies, and the patterns in the piece are spectacular.

In 655 CE Wu Zetian (624-705 CE) wedded Emperor Gaozong and increasingly involved herself in political undertakings. She was remarkably knowledgeable and an effective Chinese ruler who brought stability to the realm by consolidating and uniting the Tang Dynasty at a time when it appeared to be disintegrating.

Damien Hirst has long been fascinated by butterflies and they have often been included in his images. One reason is because of the way they could be used to explore themes of life and death. Butterflies also have a spiritual heritage and play a symbolic role in many religions. The spiritual heritage attached to the butterfly, along with the spectacular patterns Hirst creates in The Empresses collection indicate religious undertones which are a prominent theme in his work.

Early in 2022, HENI Editions presented “The Empresses” by Damien Hirst, a series of five glorious prints depicting carefully composed images of butterflies. Both prints and NFT Deeds were available to purchase between January 28th and February 4th, 2022. The final number of editions produced was limited by the demand for each print during this very limited period of time. The prints in this collection are all named after an Empress, linked to the notable historical periods in which they were influential. Included in the series are Wu Zetian, Empress Theodora (Byzantine), Nūr Jahān (the de-facto Empress of the Mughal Empire), Suiko, the first recorded empress of Japan, and Taytu Betul, the Empress of Ethiopia in the 19th century.