Damien Hirst

Rising to prominence in the early 1990s, Damien Hirst has come to define British modern art. Exploring death and science through his works, his pieces are challenging, both visually and philosophically, redefining everything we thought we knew about art. One of the greatest provocateurs in recent art history, he has continued to intrigue throughout his career with diamond-encrusted skulls and stained-glass windows made from butterfly wings, proving that no medium is out of his reach. “For me, art is always a kind of theatre,” he says.

In 1984, Hirst moved to London, where he studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths College. In his second year of university, he conceived and curated Freeze, a ground-breaking group exhibition that saw a new generation of artists born - the YBAs (Young British Artists). Already being recognised by notable collectors and curators such as Charles Saatchi and Norman Rosenthal, Freeze would also mark the debut of his first Spot painting.

In 1991, Hirst started work on ‘Natural History’, arguably his most famous series to date - a radical, new concept centred on suspending animals in formaldehyde. The first work of the series, a preserved shark entitled The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, was unveiled at the Saatchi Gallery’s Young British Artists exhibition and remains one of the most iconic symbols of British modern art.

Since 1991, Hirst has had upwards of 150 solo exhibitions and his works are included in more than 45 museum collections. He remains a prominent figure in Contemporary art, with his popularity reflected in his secondary print market and the consistent demand for his work.