Damien Hirst (born 1965, Bristol) is one of the most influential figures in contemporary British art and a leading member of the Young British Artists (YBAs). Working across sculpture, painting, installation, and printmaking, his artworks confront themes of mortality, beauty, medicine, and belief, often using provocation to challenge cultural and ethical boundaries. Hirst rose to prominence after curating the landmark Freeze exhibition at Goldsmiths College in 1988, which brought him to the attention of collector Charles Saatchi.
Hirst is best known for conceptual artworks such as preserved animals in formaldehyde, including The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, and for winning the Turner Prize in 1995 with works like Mother and Child (Divided). Alongside these iconic installations, Damien Hirst has produced an extensive body of signed limited edition prints, notably his butterfly and spot series, which translate his core ideas of repetition, chance, and life cycles into collectible formats. His unique and limited edition artworks are held in major museum collections worldwide, with significant exhibitions at Tate Modern and the Rijksmuseum, and his signed art editions remain central to his practice today.
