I Love You (red, oriental gold, cool gold)

Much of Hirst’s work is centred around the motif of the butterfly, that stands in for themes around love, life, death and aesthetics that inform and underline his artistic practice. The artist’s interest in butterflies lies in their appearance of life that they retain in death. Hirst uses bright, saturated colour to create a bold and vivacious print that conveys a sense of life and joy.

Hirst contrasts the almost photographic depiction of the butterfly against solid, block colour to create a print that has an immediate and visceral visual impact. Speaking of his interest in the topic of love, Hirst has explained, “Love is a beautiful thing, and I see it as a small antidote to the horrors of the world.” Particularly, Hirst’s use of the colour red to form the central heart motif makes clear an interest in love as a feeling and concept universally understood by many.