Sensationalism, harsh criticism, fame, success… A skull dressed in diamonds, rows of pills, taxidermy, a giant shark in formaldehyde and – rumour has it – the owner of a Richie Rich-esque fortune… You guessed it right: we’re talking about the ever-popular Damien Hirst – a nut case according to many and a source of pride or object of desire for collectors.
This past year, Hirst was once again in the spotlight with his retrospective at Tate, which had him heralded as a ‘disgrace’ by some and a ‘god’ by others. He most recently made headlines for ditching Gagossian Gallery. Now he’s at Portakal Art and Culture House with a 30-piece selection made up predominantly of his spin paintings – an artistic style he quit in 2008 but returned to in 2011. The exhibition also features Hirst’s famous spot paintings and samples from his ‘Pharmacy’ series as well as pieces like ‘No Humanity’ and ‘No Remorse’, which combine diamonds, butterflies and scalpels. We should note that the works on display are also offered for sale, though the prices are the subject of speculation.