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Damien Hirst’s giant sculptures of the development of the unborn baby are still on display in Qatar a decade later

The giant sculptures of the development of the unborn human revealed by English artist, Damien Hirst, a decade ago, are still on display in Qatar’s capital Doha. His 14 bronze sculptures tower up to 46 feet and show, in stunning anatomical detail, the development of an unborn baby boy from conception to birth. 

Commissioned by Sheikha al Mayassa Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, chairwoman of the Qatar Museums Authority, Hirst’s sculptures are displayed boldly in front of the Sidra Medical and Research Center, a facility in Qatar specialising in women and children’s health. 

The artworks can be seen from the desert and the motorway and weigh a total of 216 tonnes. 

‘The Miraculous Journey’ 

Hirst called the installation ‘The Miraculous Journey’. When asked about his inspiration for the sculptures, he said he became interested in exploring this area more after having children of his own. The father of three explained “Everyone talks about our life’s journey, but we have a whole journey before you’re born”.

The first of the 14 sculptures shows the moment of conception as the sperm fertilises the egg. Each sculpture shows the unborn baby at a different level of development, with one depicting twins in the womb. 

As the sculptures were unveiled, the sound of a beating heart was amplified so that onlookers, including members of Qatar’s royal family, could hear a heartbeat as they saw for the first time this grand depiction of new life. 

The role of art in provoking reflection

Hirst also emphasised that “For the education of everybody, it’s a great thing to say look this is real… this is how it works”. One art specialist noted the appropriateness of the statues, arguing “it reflects very much the mission of Sidra, taking care of the healthcare of woman and babies… I think it’s perfect for the location”. 

Another British artist, Tracey Emin, has used her artwork to provoke reflection about unborn babies. The memory of Emin’s unborn children whose lives were ended by abortion comes up throughout the years in her artwork. Her 1997 work Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963 – 1995, includes her two aborted children. Her autobiographical video of the same year also explores her abortions. In a 2011 exhibition, she displays textile work called The first time I was pregnant I started to crochet the baby a shawl, 1998-2004, recognising the lives that were growing inside her. 

The value of life before birth

Right To Life UK spokesperson, Catherine Robinson, said “These stunning sculptures are a striking visual reminder of the beauty of life before birth. The series of sculptures and the title of the work emphasise the continuous journey of life from the moment of conception to birth and beyond. They underline how each of us seeing and reading about these works of art began our own miraculous journeys in the same way: with a sperm fertilising an egg”. 

“The anatomical accuracy of the sculptures shows us the humanity of the unborn baby and celebrates the value of life before birth. We need more works of art that spark conversation about life before birth and remind us of the amazing journey that we have all taken from the moment we were created at conception”. 

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Dear reader,

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of people like you across the UK, the McArthur assisted suicide Bill in Scotland was defeated in March by 69 votes to 57.

Then, in April, the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill fell in the House of Lords.

Many commentators thought both Bills would become law.

If that had happened, governments in England, Scotland and Wales would now be preparing to roll out assisted suicide services.

Over the coming decades, this would have led to the deaths of many thousands of vulnerable people.

But that is not what happened.

Because supporters like you acted, those Bills were stopped.

Because of you, many vulnerable lives have been saved.

These were two very significant victories. But sadly, they are not the last battles we face this year.

The new Parliamentary session begins this Wednesday. We now face three major threats.

  1. Attempts to bring back the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill and bypass the House of Lords

    The assisted suicide lobby, led by Dignity in Dying, a multi-million-pound pressure group, has made it clear that it is going to attempt to bring back the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill in the next parliamentary session.

    It then plans to use the Parliament Acts to bypass the House of Lords and force the Bill into law.

  2. Labour Government plans for a major expansion of abortion provision, including financial incentives for ‘lunch-hour’ abortions

    Under these plans, the Government would financially incentivise major abortion providers, BPAS and MSI Reproductive Choices, to provide ‘lunch-hour’ or ‘same-day’ abortions.

    ‘Lunch-hour’ abortion services are walk-in abortion services designed to fit into a woman’s lunch hour.

    Women facing an unplanned pregnancy need time, care and support, not a system that gives abortion clinics a financial incentive to rush them through consultations, scans and abortions on the same day.

    If these plans go ahead, many more lives are likely to be ended by abortion here in the UK.

  3. Extreme abortion up to birth proposals in Scotland

    In Scotland, plans are moving forward to introduce an extreme abortion up to birth law. This would go far beyond the abortion law change recently backed by the Lords for England and Wales.

    A review of abortion law in Scotland, commissioned by Humza Yousaf when he was Scottish First Minister, recommended that the Scottish Government scrap the current 24-week time limit – and abortion be available on social grounds, including for sex-selective purposes, right up to birth.

    The final plans are expected to be brought forward as a Government Bill in the new Scottish Parliament, which begins this Thursday.

If these three major threats succeed, thousands of vulnerable lives will be lost.

We cannot allow this to happen.

We can only defeat these three major threats with your help.

We ran our biggest campaigns ever to help defeat the assisted suicide Bills at Westminster and in Scotland.

That work has made a serious dent in our limited resources.

To cover this gap and ensure we can effectively defeat these three major threats in the coming months, we are aiming to raise at least £199,250 by midnight this Sunday (17 May 2026).

We are, therefore, appealing to you to please give as generously as you can.

Every donation, large or small, will make a crucial difference in saving the lives of the unborn and many others. Plus, if you are a UK taxpayer, £1 becomes £1.25 with Gift Aid at no extra cost to you.

By stopping these threats, YOU can save lives during this new Parliamentary session.

Will you donate now to help protect vulnerable lives from these three major threats?

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Help stop three major anti-life threats.

Help stop three major anti-life threats.