Damien Hirst, one of the most provocative and influential contemporary artists, is known for his use of shocking and unconventional materials to explore themes of life, death, and decay. Among his notable works are his giant ashtray sculptures, particularly "Ashtray Head/Fallen Empire" (1995) and "Horror at Home" (1995), which reflect his fascination with mortality and the everyday act of smoking.

"Ashtray Head/Fallen Empire" features a large, eight-foot-diameter white fibreglass ashtray containing a severed cow's head surrounded by blood and flies. This piece, created the same year Hirst won the Turner Prize, encapsulates his thematic preoccupation with death and decay. The severed head, with its visceral and unsettling presentation, is a stark reminder of mortality. The use of flies, which feed on the blood, adds a layer of realism and decay, transforming the ashtray into a memento mori—an artistic reminder of the inevitability of death. Hirst's statement on the work emphasizes the ephemeral nature of life, drawing a parallel between smoking—a slow form of suicide—and the certainty of death (Christie's) (Gagosian).

In "Horror at Home," Hirst created a giant ashtray filled with cigarette butts, supposedly collected from a famous London club. This piece critiques the sanitized, minimalistic approach to smoking paraphernalia often found in affluent settings. Hirst was inspired by the contrast between a luxurious environment and the grim reality of smoking, which he viewed as a ubiquitous yet rarely discussed societal issue. By magnifying the ashtray to an exaggerated scale and filling it with cigarette waste, Hirst confronts viewers with the grotesque reality of the habit, challenging the sanitized image often portrayed in society (AndrewGraham-Dixon.com).

Both sculptures are part of Hirst's broader exploration of the themes of death and decay, which recur throughout his career. His use of everyday objects like ashtrays, combined with macabre elements, forces viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about life and death, making these works both compelling and controversial (Gagosian) (AndrewGraham-Dixon.com) .