Damien Hirst

British, b. 1965

Damien Hirst: A Controversial Figure in the Art World

Damien Hirst, a British artist born in 1965, has been a prominent and controversial figure in the contemporary art scene since the 1990s. Known for his provocative and often polarizing artworks, Hirst has become one of the most influential and financially successful artists of his generation.

Despite the polarizing nature of his art, Hirst's influence on the art world is undeniable. His works challenge viewers to reconsider the conventional boundaries of art and have forced discussions about the nature of creativity and the role of shock value in contemporary art. Love him or loathe him, Damien Hirst's impact on the art world is beyond dispute. His boundary-pushing work has left an indelible mark on the public consciousness and continues to provoke discussion and debate.

His works are held in the collections of the Tate Gallery in London, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., and the Rubell Family Collection in Miami.

In 2008, Hirst controversially staged “Beautiful Inside my Head Forever,” an auction in which he sold his work directly to the public and raked in around $200 million for himself. His individual works have sold for more than $10 million at auction. In 2021, a new series of print editions titled The Virtues, were sold for record-breaking $22,443,000.