What If Damien Hirst Named Colors Like He Titles His Works?

Every Friday, I share a visual literacy exercise, a small but intentional moment to slow down, look closer, and notice what’s really happening in the visual world around us.

This week’s subject? Damien Hirst.

Yes, that Hirs. The enfant terrible of contemporary art, infamous for putting sharks in formaldehyde and turning pharmaceuticals into aesthetic objects. But here, the provocation is softer: a tree, some sunshine, a bright canvas, and a pair of Versace briefs.

When Art Becomes a Color Generator

Recently, Hirst has been painting forsythia — large-format, stylized floral compositions made outdoors, surrounded by trees and sky. One of these images struck me not just as art, but as a color system in itself. The palette was already there: vibrant yellows, rich greens, a saturated sky blue, and soft neutral tones.

So I did what any designer might do:I turned it into a color palette.

But instead of calling it “yellow” or “green,” I asked:

What if Damien Hirst named colors the way he titles his artworks?

Naming as Meaning: The Palette

Naming in design is often overlooked,but Hirst reminds us that a name is never neutral. His work has included titles like The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living and The Void That Binds Us. Dramatic? Sure. But unforgettable.

So I let that logic guide this week's palette:

HEX	Name
#F7D318	Pollen and Prescription
#0286BE	Bleach the Sky
#211D1A	Carbon Thoughts on a Sunday
#3B8145	Garden After Surgery
#F6E6B6	Silence in a Pillbox
#FEFEFE	What If God Was Acrylic?

The result is part branding joke, part cultural exercise, but underneath, it’s a real reminder:

Color carries tone. Names carry meaning. Visual language is layered.

Why This Is a Valuable Design Exercise

This might look like a visual joke, but here’s why this kind of exercise is useful for designers, art directors, and creatives:

1. Train your visual sensitivity

You start noticing not just color, but proportion, hierarchy, and context.

2. Practice lateral thinking

Naming colors like artworks challenges your brain to think metaphorically, not just descriptively.

3. Build your visual vocabulary

Strong naming gives projects personality. It's part of developing your tone of voice.

4. Strengthen composition analysis

To extract color well, you must study the layout, balance, and intent of the image.

Want to Try It Yourself?

Here’s the step-by-step:

1. Pick an artwork, film still, or even a product ad that inspires you.

2. Extract 4–6 dominant colors using any tool (like Coolors, Adobe, or Figma).

3. Name each color, but make it poetic, ironic, or thematic.

4. Lay it out visually. Present it like a real palette.

5. Repeat weekly. Share if you like, or just keep it for your design eye.

Visual literacy is not a trend, it’s a skill.And like any skill, it improves with intentional practice. This week, I chose Damien Hirst as my visual mentor, not for his controversy, but for his clarity.

Because sometimes, the most powerful design lesson is hidden in a tree full of yellow paint.

Want more exercises like this?Check out my LinkedIn for weekly breakdowns or visit my portfolio for more color and culture in design.