Damien Hirst English, b. 1965

A pioneering figure in contemporary art, Damien Hirst, born in Bristol, England, in 1965, is acclaimed for his incisive interrogation of the existential dichotomies at the core of human experience. Hirst’s oeuvre, marked by a synthesis of conceptual rigor, visceral impact and audacious creativity, examines the tensions between beauty and decay, art and religion, faith and doubt, and life and death. His expansive practice encompasses sculpture, painting, and installation, and serves as a vehicle for his relentless exploration of the profound and often unsettling questions at the heart of human existence. Hirst's Freeze exhibition in 1988 marked a seminal moment in contemporary art, propelling him to the forefront of the ‘Young British Artists’ (YBA) movement, where his provocative installations and bold conceptual approach redefined the boundaries of art in the late 20th century.

Hirst graduated from Goldsmith College, London, in 1989. Since 1987, Hirst has been the subject of over 90 solo exhibitions that have taken place worldwide, including at the Tate Modern, London; Palazzo Vecchio, Florence; Oceanographic Museum, Monaco; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Astrup Fearnley Museet für Moderne Kunst, Oslo; Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples; Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, Pinault Collection, Venice; Villa Borghese, Rome; and Fondation Cartier, Paris. Hirst’s work features in major collections including the British Museum, London; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.; the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; Tate, London; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, The Broad Collection, Los Angeles; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and Fondazione Prada, Milan. In 2015, Hirst opened his own space, the Newport Street Gallery, London, showcasing not only his own artworks but also his extensive personal collection.