In 'Theodora', Damien Hirst pays homage to one of history's most remarkable social reformers. Rising from humble origins to become Byzantine empress in 527 CE through her marriage to Justinian, Theodora's reign marked a transformative period in imperial history. Her astute political acumen and progressive vision reshaped the empire's religious and social landscape, with her influence so profound that contemporaries often attributed the true governance to her rather than her husband. This extraordinary ascent from society's lowest ranks to its pinnacle exemplifies the themes of metamorphosis that pervade Hirst's butterfly works.

In 'Theodora', Damien Hirst crafts a uniquely asymmetrical composition that mirrors the revolutionary spirit of its Byzantine namesake. The artwork distinguishes itself within the series through its deliberate departure from symmetry, featuring an intricate arrangement of red and black butterfly wings that creates a dynamic visual rhythm. Subtle red lines bisect the composition vertically and segment it horizontally into thirds while delineating a circular form in the upper region—elements that coalesce into a subtle evocation of the female gender symbol, reflecting Theodora's groundbreaking advocacy for women's rights in the 6th century CE.

The strategic placement of paired and single wings generates an illusion of perpetual motion, suggesting living insects in flight rather than preserved specimens. This controlled chaos echoes Theodora's trajectory from humble origins to imperial power. Hirst's masterful manipulation of space and movement transforms the static medium into a vibrant testament to feminine authority, with wings appearing to transcend the picture plane. The piece exemplifies Hirst's ability to weave historical narrative into visual metaphor while exploring themes of transformation and empowerment that characterise his butterfly works.

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The striking Empresses series by Damien Hirst are constructed of beautiful images of red butterfly wings intricately arranged with a filigree of red glitter to produce visually intoxicating kaleidoscope-like effects. The prints are named after five exceptionally influential female rulers: Wu Zetian, Nur Jahan, Theodora, Suiko and Taytu Betul. Their characters and stories are enhanced by the dominant red tone of the series, which deals with themes such as life, war, power, anger, love, joy and luck.

Since the beginning of his career, Hirst has interacted with the butterfly, one of his best-known motifs. Inspired by a chance encounter in his studio and the intricate patterns found on Victorian tea trays, The Empresses Hirst develops on the complex compositions he invented in his Kaleidoscope Paintings and Mandalas series.

The Empresses prints are symmetrical, asymmetrical, and spiral patterns of meticulously organised butterflies that nonetheless exude hope and life – the butterflies feel like they are taking flight. This effect is partly aided by the material, laminated Giclée print on aluminium composite, screen printed with glitter, which allows the butterfly wings to be presented in such detail that they appear lifelike. The images of wings inspire awe and are framed by glitter, a fantastically tactile material previously used by Hirst in his paintings. Glitter is loved for its playfulness and joy – a sentiment echoed in the play-on-words of the series title itself, which alludes to female rulers and the Empress Butterfly. Hirst has consistently used butterflies for their associations with freedom, religion, life and death. The Empresses illuminates and sheds light on these themes.

Through this new series, these themes become intertwined with glory, female power and the development of nations, visible through the entrancing twists and turns of these five dazzling and vital visual celebrations.