Inspired by Damien Hirst

Born in 1965 in Bristol, Damien Hirst is a preeminent figure of the contemporary art scene. He studied fine arts at Goldsmiths College in London and started working as a sculptor and an art curator in the late 1980s. He was instrumental in the Young British Artists movement. His artistic career took off when he won the Turner Prize in 1995, one of the highest distinctions in contemporary art. His aesthetic is sometimes described as “morbid," which does not come as a surprise as the artist has himself stated that the theme of death is central to his work. His installations often explore the relationships between art, life, and death, and are exhibited in the most renowned galleries and museums. 

Drawing his inspiration from Marcel Duchamp's readymade art, Hirst works with “real life" items such as ashtrays, medications, and above all, animals. One of his most famous and most talked about artworks are his dead animal installations, especially The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, in which a 14-meter tiger shark is conserved in formaldehyde. Hirst has repeated this format with several other animals  (a pig, cow, sheep…) Their bodies are preserved, and sometimes dissected, in formaldehyde and exhibited in monumental “aquariums." These artworks have been critiqued by those who view the works as immoral and unethical. The discourse around Damien Hirst's art practice is at times similar to the questions being raised about Jeff Koon's approach to art: are these men artistic geniuses or are they highly skilled marketers? Probably a little bit of both, but whatever the answer may be it is undeniable that Hirst has revolutionised artistic creation in the contemporary art world. 

Charles Saatchi was one of the first influential personalities in the art world to recognise Hirst's creative talent, and became his patron in the 1990s, after being astonished by his “animal installation." The famous collector then funded and curated the first Young British Artists exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Frictions between the two figures put an end to their relationship, but Hirst's artwork found support with the famous art dea ler Larry Gagosian, who was enthralled by the work of the conceptual artist and exhibited his work at Gagosian gallery. His work also seems to have sparked a genuine interest within the wider art public, who are willing to spend upwards of several thousands buying his creations auctions. He famously organised an entire auction with Sotheby's comprising of 223 new works. Despite the auction being held on the day of the Lehman Brothers' crash, all the artworks were sold by the end of the night, for a total $198 million.

Hirst is himself a great art collector and has curated exhibitions of his own art collection, known as the “murderme" collection, at the Serpentine Gallery in London. Hirst has accumulated an impressive catalogue of painting, sculptures, drawings by masters of contemporary and modern art. He owns works by Andy Warhol, Banksy, Francis Bacon, Richard Prince and Tracey Emin. 

In this selection, dive into the universe of diamond skulls and butterflies and discover works by emerging contemporary artists inspired by the great master of controversial art.