Phillips is pleased to present The Civilisation Paintings. The exhibition, curated by Connor Hirst and presented by HENI, will be on view in London through 2 September.

The Civilisation Paintings is a series of 32 paintings exploring the necessity of hope despite the complexities and challenges of contemporary civilisation. In each work, the artist depicts memories or feelings of cities: evoking the exuberant series The Secret Gardens Paintings, metropolitan areas are set amongst thriving vegetation, forming bright imagined landscapes.

Throughout the works, realistic features are contrasted with other elements such as pointillism and thrown paint. Evoking the themes of chaos and hope at the heart of the series, the artist favours the latter practice for its lack of control, embodying his maxim: “you just have to believe”.

In addition to The Civilisation Paintings, a selection of works from the series The Robot Paintings is on show. The Robot Paintings are created using machines which have been programmed to paint, a process that Hirst has been exploring in recent years. Some of the series depict prominent figures in history, similar in style to Hirst's Fact Paintings.

This exhibition is being presented with support of the artist's galleries, Gagosian and White Cube.