Presentation

He is often called the "bad boy" of British contemporary art: the works of Damien Hirst, true icons of the beginning of the 21st century, have left their mark on the collective mind. 

Damien Steven Hirst was born in 1965 in Bristol, England and grew up in Leeds. In 1984 he moved to London where he started working in construction. He studied at the Leeds College of Art between 1983 and 1985. He was not admitted at the Saint Martins School of Art, but in 1986 he was admitted at Goldsmiths College of Art where he studied until 1989, with professor Michael Craig-Martin among others. 

Damien Hirst began to think about the "unacceptable idea of death" during his teenage years. At Goldsmiths he started some of his most important series, such as the medicine cabinets. His observation that "science is the new religion for many people", is an idea that will be very present in his work. 

In 1988 Damien Hirst organized the famous "Freeze" exhibition at the London Docks with other students, an event that marked the beginning of the group later called theYoung British Artists and the beginning of his own artistic career. It was on this occasion that he painted his first "Spot paintings" on the walls. In 2012, 11 of the Gagosian galleries around the world hold exhibitions showcasing only "spot paintings", materializing a "perverse and megalomaniacal" idea of the artist.

In 1991 he started his famous series "Natural History". With the financial support of Charles Saatchi, he produced "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living", a glass box in which a tiger shark was exhibited, submerged in formaldehyde. The work is one of the artist's most famous ones, and an icon of 1990's art.

In the 2000s, he continued to explore important themes such as love, religion, death, beauty and science. In 2007 he exhibited the spectacular work "For the Love of God", a platinum cast of a human skull, set with 8601 diamonds, but with the original teeth. In 2008, when the markets collapsed, he organized an auction of his works at Sotheby's that brought in over $200 million.

In 2012, Tate Modern held a retrospective of Damien Hirst's work. In 2017, with the support of the Pinault Foundation, he exhibited in Venice, in several places, "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable", a huge show of works produced between 2008 and 2016, which cost more than 50 million pounds.

In 1995 Damien Hirst received the prestigious Turner Prize. He lives and works between London, Gloucestershire and Devon.


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All artworks of Damien Hirst

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Print, Studland bay, Damien Hirst

Studland bay

Damien Hirst

Print - 47.2 x 35.4 x 0.4 inch

£8,546

Painting, Shark - Spin Painting, Damien Hirst

Shark - Spin Painting

Damien Hirst

Painting - 19.7 x 28 inch

£16,025

Design, The Currency : Assiette en porcelaine fine de Chine, Damien Hirst

The Currency : Assiette en porcelaine fine de Chine

Damien Hirst

Design - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.6 inch

£445

Print, H13-4 Studland Bay, Damien Hirst

H13-4 Studland Bay

Damien Hirst

Print - 47.2 x 35.4 x 0.4 inch

£7,567

Painting, Beautiful painting, Damien Hirst

Beautiful painting

Damien Hirst

Painting - 9.1 x 9.1 x 1 inch

£4,451

Print, Beautiful Painting Heni, Damien Hirst

Beautiful Painting Heni

Damien Hirst

Print - 9.1 x 9.1 x 1 inch

£4,451

Print, Kynance Cove, Damien Hirst

Kynance Cove

Damien Hirst

Print - 47.2 x 35.4 x 0.4 inch

£8,546

Painting, The currency: 6274. nobody should hear it, Damien Hirst

The currency: 6274. nobody should hear it

Damien Hirst

Painting - 8.5 x 11.8 inch

£16,470

Painting, The Currency 1781- You don’t go all summer long, Damien Hirst

The Currency 1781- You don’t go all summer long

Damien Hirst

Painting - 7.9 x 11.8 inch

£47,183

Painting, Damien Hirst Spin Painting, Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst Spin Painting

Damien Hirst

Painting - 20.5 x 20.5 x 0.1 inch

£16,383

Painting, Shiverin' Sharks, Damien Hirst

Shiverin' Sharks

Damien Hirst

Painting - 1.7 x 2 x 0 inch

£801

Print, Shiverin' Sharks, Damien Hirst

Shiverin' Sharks

Damien Hirst

Print - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0 inch

£401

Design, The Currency : Assiette en porcelaine fine de Chine, Damien Hirst

The Currency : Assiette en porcelaine fine de Chine

Damien Hirst

Design - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.6 inch

£445

Print, Humble Hearts, Damien Hirst

Humble Hearts

Damien Hirst

Print - 16.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch

£401

Print, The Empresses : H10-1 Wu Zetian, Damien Hirst

The Empresses : H10-1 Wu Zetian

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

£7,033

Print, The empresses : H10-2 Nur Jahan, Damien Hirst

The empresses : H10-2 Nur Jahan

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

£7,033

Print, The Beautiful paintings, Damien Hirst

The Beautiful paintings

Damien Hirst

Print - 15.7 x 15.7 inch

£8,680

Painting, House Spin Painting, Damien Hirst

House Spin Painting

Damien Hirst

Painting - 20.4 x 27.2 inch

£10,683

Print, The empresses - Suiko, Damien Hirst

The empresses - Suiko

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

£5,297

Print, The empresses - Wu zetian, Damien Hirst

The empresses - Wu zetian

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

£5,297

Print, Empresses: Suiko H10-4, Damien Hirst

Empresses: Suiko H10-4

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

£4,505

Print, H9-4 Politeness, Damien Hirst

H9-4 Politeness

Damien Hirst

Print - 47.25 x 37.75 x 1 inch

£28,671

Print, Work from the Limited Edition Book The Souls, Damien Hirst

Work from the Limited Edition Book The Souls

Damien Hirst

Print - 9.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

£4,985

Print, H10-1 Suiko, Damien Hirst

H10-1 Suiko

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1 inch

Sold

Print, The Elements: Air, Damien Hirst

The Elements: Air

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.3 x 39.3 inch

Sold

Print, The empresses - Nur jahan, Damien Hirst

The empresses - Nur jahan

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, The Virtues - Honesty, Damien Hirst

The Virtues - Honesty

Damien Hirst

Print - 47.2 x 37.8 inch

Sold

Print, H10-4 Suiko (The Empresses), Damien Hirst

H10-4 Suiko (The Empresses)

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, Justice, Damien Hirst

Justice

Damien Hirst

Print - 47.25 x 38 x 1 inch

Sold

Print, The empresses - Taytu Betul, Damien Hirst

The empresses - Taytu Betul

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, The Virtues - Loyalty, Damien Hirst

The Virtues - Loyalty

Damien Hirst

Print - 47.2 x 37.8 inch

Sold

Print, Deus, Deus Meus (diamond dust), from Psalm Prints, Damien Hirst

Deus, Deus Meus (diamond dust), from Psalm Prints

Damien Hirst

Print - 28.7 x 27.4 x 0 inch

Sold

Print, H10-5 Taytu Betul, Damien Hirst

H10-5 Taytu Betul

Damien Hirst

Print - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch

Sold

Print, Loyalty, Damien Hirst

Loyalty

Damien Hirst

Print - 47.25 x 38 x 2 inch

Sold

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Who is the artist?

He is often called the "bad boy" of British contemporary art: the works of Damien Hirst, true icons of the beginning of the 21st century, have left their mark on the collective mind. 

Damien Steven Hirst was born in 1965 in Bristol, England and grew up in Leeds. In 1984 he moved to London where he started working in construction. He studied at the Leeds College of Art between 1983 and 1985. He was not admitted at the Saint Martins School of Art, but in 1986 he was admitted at Goldsmiths College of Art where he studied until 1989, with professor Michael Craig-Martin among others. 

Damien Hirst began to think about the "unacceptable idea of death" during his teenage years. At Goldsmiths he started some of his most important series, such as the medicine cabinets. His observation that "science is the new religion for many people", is an idea that will be very present in his work. 

In 1988 Damien Hirst organized the famous "Freeze" exhibition at the London Docks with other students, an event that marked the beginning of the group later called theYoung British Artists and the beginning of his own artistic career. It was on this occasion that he painted his first "Spot paintings" on the walls. In 2012, 11 of the Gagosian galleries around the world hold exhibitions showcasing only "spot paintings", materializing a "perverse and megalomaniacal" idea of the artist.

In 1991 he started his famous series "Natural History". With the financial support of Charles Saatchi, he produced "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living", a glass box in which a tiger shark was exhibited, submerged in formaldehyde. The work is one of the artist's most famous ones, and an icon of 1990's art.

In the 2000s, he continued to explore important themes such as love, religion, death, beauty and science. In 2007 he exhibited the spectacular work "For the Love of God", a platinum cast of a human skull, set with 8601 diamonds, but with the original teeth. In 2008, when the markets collapsed, he organized an auction of his works at Sotheby's that brought in over $200 million.

In 2012, Tate Modern held a retrospective of Damien Hirst's work. In 2017, with the support of the Pinault Foundation, he exhibited in Venice, in several places, "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable", a huge show of works produced between 2008 and 2016, which cost more than 50 million pounds.

In 1995 Damien Hirst received the prestigious Turner Prize. He lives and works between London, Gloucestershire and Devon.

What is Damien Hirst’s artistic movement?

The artistic movements of the artists are: Provocative Artists, Young British Artists (YBAs), Neo-Conceptualism

When was Damien Hirst born?

The year of birth of the artist is: 1965