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Hirst gives £600,000 painting to hospice charity for auction
Rashid Razaq13.08.08
A Damien Hirst painting worth up to £600,000 is to be auctioned in aid of a children's hospice.
The artist donated the heart-shaped work, Beautiful Love Demelza Painting With Beautiful Butterflies, to the Demelza House charity, which cares for terminally ill patients.
It will go under the hammer at Sotheby's next month, with the proceeds going towards a £6.5 million hospice being built in Eltham.
It is the second painting Hirst has given to the hospice, which was set up in Sittingbourne in 1998 by Derek and Jennifer Phillips in memory of their daughter Demelza, who worked at a children's hospice and died from a brain tumour aged 24.
Hirst has been involved with the charity for more than four years having been introduced to it by his manager, a long-time supporter.
So far, the charity has raised £4million for the new building.
