Kew from Damien Hirst's Veil Spots series encapsulates his artistic ethos of celebration and mystery, drawing viewers into a realm where revelation intertwines with concealment. Inspired by Post-Impressionist painter Pierre Bonnard, Hirst's multi-colored canvases evoke a sense of joy and playfulness, akin to big abstract Bonnard paintings, as he describes them. With roots in his earlier Visual Candy paintings from the 1990s, the Veil series represents a continuation of Hirst's exploration of color and abstraction, albeit on a larger scale.

In Kew and other works from the series, overlapping colored dots create a mesmerizing tapestry, reminiscent of Pointillism but with Hirst's unique flair. These dots, varying in size and hue, form a veil-like barrier that simultaneously reveals and obscures truths, echoing Hirst's fascination with the dichotomy between perception and reality.

Hirst's process, documented in a video showcasing his London studio, reveals the labor-intensive nature of these immersive abstractions. Each brushstroke and dab of impasto adds texture and depth to the paintings, inviting viewers to contemplate the layers of meaning embedded within.

While Hirst's earlier works, like the Spot Paintings and Medicine Cabinet series, adhered to a more regimented approach to color, the Veil series represents a departure, allowing color to flow freely and intuitively. This experimentation reflects Hirst's deep interest in the psychological impact of color and his ongoing exploration of its expressive possibilities.

Kew and its counterparts stand as a testament to Hirst's artistic evolution, and also signal the conclusion of a chapter in his oeuvre. With ninety-four paintings in the series, alongside works on paper, Hirst has immersed himself fully in this body of work, bringing it to a close as a unified expression of his vision.