The Virtues

Revisiting the aesthetics of 19th-century Pointillist painters Georges Seurat and Pierre Bonnard, the paintings feature "flashes" of diverse colors that collaborate to create depth and vivacity, particularly in the predominant pinks and whites of the blossom trees. Hirst's method involves simultaneously working on multiple canvases, creating a symbiotic relationship between image creation and the immersive viewing experience.

'The Virtues' continues to explore the boundaries of human perception. Derived from the painted 'Cherry Blossoms' canvases, the images reveal recognizable sections of trees, seen partially as if through a window or from inside the tree itself. The focus shifts from the trees as a subject matter to the sheer beauty of the small moments of color within them. Hirst emphasizes the transient nature of beauty, describing the prints as capturing "the momentary, the insane transience of beauty – a tree in full crazy blossom against a clear blue sky."

The artwork titles in 'The Virtues' reflect Hirst's fascination with the ephemeral nature of the cherry blossom, each print named after The Eight Virtues of Bushidō according to Nitobe Inazō: Justice, Courage, Mercy, Politeness, Honesty, Honour, Loyalty, and Control. Nitobe's 'Bushidō: The Soul of Japan' introduces Western audiences to the Samurai code of ethics and explores the cherry blossom's symbolism, emphasizing its beauty and ephemeral fragrance.

In 'The Virtues,' Hirst employs printmaking to experiment with technology, making his work accessible to new audiences. The edition size was determined by public demand during a one-week application period. Notably, 'The Virtues' stands out as the first print series for which both HENI Leviathan and Damien Hirst accepted payment in cryptocurrency. Reproduced in exceptionally high resolution, 'The Virtues' condenses Hirst's monumental canvases into accessible prints, preserving the tactile quality of their thick impasto and the vibrancy of their colors.