Damien Hirst’s Valium is one of the most recognizable pieces from his series of "Spot Paintings," a body of work that has become iconic in contemporary art. The Valium print, like many others in the series, features an array of colored spots meticulously arranged in a grid-like pattern. Each spot is painted in a different color, with no two colors repeating in the same piece, creating a sense of visual rhythm and harmony. The spots are uniformly sized, equally spaced, and appear to float against the white background, giving the work a minimalist, almost clinical appearance.

Hirst's Spot Paintings explore themes of pharmaceutical culture, the human body, and the commodification of art. The title Valium directly references the popular sedative drug, aligning with Hirst's ongoing interest in medicine and its impact on modern life. The vibrant, varied colors of the spots can be seen as a metaphor for the multitude of pills that people consume daily, both for medical and recreational purposes.

The creation process of Valium and other spot works involved assistants who were tasked with executing the meticulous painting under Hirst's direction, a method that aligns with the conceptual art tradition of delegating the physical creation to others, while the artist maintains the creative vision.

The Valium print, while simple in its appearance, carries deeper implications about the intersection of art, science, and consumerism. It is a testament to Hirst’s ability to merge everyday elements with high art, transforming something as mundane as a pill into a visually compelling and thought-provoking piece. Through Valium and the broader Spot Paintings series, Hirst challenges viewers to consider the role of art in a world saturated with mass production and pharmaceutical intervention.