Damien Hirst Funds and Exhibits Three Unknown Female Artists at Newport Street Gallery

Damien Hirst has launched a mentorship and patronage initiative for emerging artists, funding and exhibiting works by Boo Saville, Helen Beard, and Sadie Laska at his Newport Street Gallery in London. The show, titled 'True Colors,' opened on June 6 and runs through September 9. It features 21 new large-scale canvases created in Hirst's studio, alongside about 30 older pieces. Hirst commissioned the works, provided studio space, and purchased all pieces for his MurderMe collection. The gallery, designed by Caruso St John (winner of the 2016 Stirling Prize), originally intended to display Hirst's personal collection but has since hosted exhibitions by Jeff Koons, Rachel Howard, and Dan Colen. This move echoes Charles Saatchi's role in launching the Young British Artists in the 1990s. Boo Saville (born 1980, Norwich) creates color field paintings and black-and-white works based on internet images. Sadie Laska (born 1974, West Virginia) lives in New York and uses recycled canvas, spray paint, film, and IKEA bags. Helen Beard (born 1971, Birmingham) explores sexuality, eroticism, and domination in bright, large-scale works; she is currently unrepresented and has already attracted collector interest following the announcement.