Damien Steven Hirst, born Damien Steven Brennan on June 7, 1965, in Bristol, England, is a prominent English artist and art collector. He rose to fame as a leading figure among the Young British Artists (YBAs), a group that shaped the UK art scene throughout the 1990s. Known for his provocative works, Hirst is reportedly the wealthiest living artist in the UK, with an estimated fortune of $384 million according to the 2020 Sunday Times Rich List. His career in the 1990s was closely tied to art collector Charles Saatchi, though tensions grew over time, leading to a split in 2003.

Death is a recurring motif in Hirst’s art. He gained widespread recognition for pieces featuring preserved animals—such as a shark, a sheep, and a cow—encased in formaldehyde, often dissected. His most iconic work, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, showcases a 14-foot tiger shark submerged in a transparent tank of formaldehyde, captivating and unsettling viewers alike.

In a bold move in September 2008, Hirst broke tradition for a living artist by auctioning an entire exhibition, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, directly through Sotheby’s, sidestepping his usual galleries. The sale fetched £111 million ($198 million), setting a record for a single-artist auction. Among the highlights was The Golden Calf, a formaldehyde-preserved animal adorned with 18-carat gold horns and hooves, which sold for £10.3 million, surpassing his previous auction highs.

Since 1999, Hirst has faced 16 accusations of plagiarism. One notable case involved his sculpture Hymn, which closely resembled a children’s toy, resulting in legal action and an eventual out-of-court settlement.

Early Life and Education

Hirst spent his childhood in Leeds, raised by his Irish mother, who worked at the Citizens Advice Bureau, after being born in Bristol. He never knew his biological father, and his mother remarried when he was two, to a man believed to be a motor mechanic. The marriage ended a decade later. His mother struggled to manage Hirst’s rebellious streak—he was caught shoplifting twice as a youth. She disapproved of his punk style, once slicing up his bondage trousers and melting a Sex Pistols record to reshape it into a bowl or planter. Despite this, she nurtured his talent for drawing, the one subject where he excelled academically.

His art teacher at Allerton Grange School fought for him to join the sixth form, where he earned two A-levels, scraping by with an “E” in art. Initially rejected by Jacob Kramer College, he later gained entry after successfully applying for its Foundation Diploma course. In 1983, a Francis Davison exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, curated by Julian Spalding, left a lasting mark on him. Davison’s abstract collages of torn colored paper inspired Hirst’s work for the next two years.

After working on London construction sites for two years, Hirst pursued Fine Art at Goldsmiths College from 1986 to 1989, though his first application was denied. While there, he admired An Oak Tree by tutor Michael Craig-Martin, calling it a groundbreaking piece of conceptual art in a 2007 statement. A stint at a mortuary during his studies shaped his fascination with death, a theme that later defined his career. He also worked as an assistant at Anthony d’Offay’s gallery during this period.