Artwork Description
Purchase The Empresses- H10-4 Suiko Pop Street Artwork Limited Edition Giclee & Giltter Screenprint Print on Aluminum Sheet by Urban Graffiti Modern Artist Damien Hirst.
2022 Signed & Numbered In Verso on Label Limited Edition of 3310 Artwork Size 39.37x39.37 Giclee & Giltter Screenprint Print on Aluminum Sheet
Suiko, a captivating composition, embodies the essence of life in numerous ways and is named after Japan's first documented empress. Although folklore suggests that several women had ruled before Empress Suiko (554-628 CE), her ascension to power following the assassination of her brother Sushun in 592 CE challenged the tradition of male rulership. Suiko is recognized for the Chinese and Korean influences she introduced to Japan, such as the adoption of the Chinese calendar, the arrival of Chinese and Korean artisans, and most notably, the establishment of Buddhism. In the artwork, variously sized paired wings radiate from the center, forming a symmetrical, concentric circle that mirrors Buddhist symbolism and the cycle of life. This circular pattern is strikingly accentuated by shimmering diagonal red lines that extend from the center to each corner. Set against a red backdrop, these lines intersect the pairs of detached wings, seemingly passing through where the bodies once resided. As with every piece in this series, Suiko presents a continuous metamorphosis, with the butterflies appearing to move and evolve the longer one observes the work. While the details are best appreciated up close, from a distance, the composition assumes a new vitality. From this perspective, Suiko unveils a swelling configuration of wings, organized around the central concentric circles and enhanced by additional external wing arrangements. This composition bears a resemblance to biological or molecular structures, reminiscent of the living organisms it portrays.
