Text by Rod Mengham
Edited by Honey Luard
Designed by Jason Beard
310 x 270 mm, hardback
188 pages, 68 colour illustrations
ISBN 978-1-910844-38-0
Published by White Cube, 2020

Published to accompany Damien Hirst’s solo exhibition ‘Mandalas’ at White Cube Mason’s Yard, London (20 September – 2 November 2019), this exhibition catalogue brings together reproductions of new paintings from the artist’s series of ‘Concentric Paintings’. Continuing themes from his ‘Kaleidoscope’ series, Hirst’s works take inspiration from the mandala, a symbolic representation of the universe. Predominantly circular, they feature exquisitely colourful butterfly wings placed into intricate concentric patterns on household gloss paint.

An essay by Dr Rod Mengham serves to locate these works within the trajectory of artists and writers throughout history who have used the butterfly for its symbolic resonance.

Designed by Jason Beard, longtime collaborator with Hirst, the publication presents each of the paintings, in full and in detail, against an expanse of the painting’s dominant colour. Resulting in a visual feast, the design becomes inseparable from the artworks themselves, and offers a reading experience to compliment the richness of colour and texture that make-up the ‘Mandalas’ series of paintings.

Dr Rod Mengham is Reader in Modern English Literature in the Faculty of English and Curator of Works of Art at Jesus College, Cambridge, UK.