Damien Hirst

Date of Birth: June 7, 1965

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Biography

Damien Hirst is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector, widely regarded as one of the most prominent and influential contemporary artists of his generation. Born Damien Steven Hirst on June 7, 1965, in Bristol, England, and raised in Leeds, Hirst rose to fame in the late 1980s and 1990s as a leading figure in the Young British Artists (YBAs) movement. His work is known for its provocative nature, often exploring themes of death, life, and the human condition. Hirst first gained significant attention with his 1988 group exhibition “Freeze,” which he curated while still a student at Goldsmiths, University of London. He quickly became known for his series of animal sculptures, including the famous “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living,” a tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde. This piece, along with many others, was funded by Charles Saatchi, a major patron of contemporary art. Throughout his career, Hirst has worked in various mediums, including sculpture, painting, and installation. He has also been a successful entrepreneur, founding the restaurant chain Pharmacy and the publishing company Other Criteria. Hirst has faced both acclaim and criticism for his work, with some praising his innovative approach to art and others questioning the originality and ethical implications of his pieces.

5 Interesting Facts about Damien Hirst

1. Damien Hirst won the Turner Prize in 1995, one of the most prestigious awards in the contemporary art world.

2. In 2008, Hirst bypassed galleries and auctioned his work directly through Sotheby’s, earning over £111 million in a single auction.

3. Hirst holds the record for the most expensive work by a living artist sold at auction; his piece “Lullaby Spring” sold for £9.65 million in 2007.

4. He has collaborated with brands like Levi’s and Converse, integrating his art into fashion.

5. Hirst’s net worth has been estimated to be in the hundreds of millions, making him one of the wealthiest artists alive.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Damien Hirst

1. “Art’s about life and it can’t really be about anything else… there isn’t anything else.”

2. “You can frighten people with death or an idea of their own mortality, or it can actually give them vigour.”

3. “I think suicide is the most perfect thing you can do in life.”

4. “I always feel like the art’s there and I just see it, so it’s not really a lot of work.”

5. “I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Damien Hirst’s highest net worth achieved is estimated to be around $384 million.

Children

Damien Hirst has three children with his former partner Maia Norman: Connor Ojala (born 1995), Cassius Atticus (born 2000), and Cyrus Joe (born 2005).