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Damien Hirst

British, b. 1965

British artist Damien Hirst is widely considered the enfant terrible of contemporary art. He is the most prominent of the so-called Young British Artists, or YBAs, a group, largely composed of Hirst’s classmates at Goldsmiths, in London, that began exhibiting together in warehouses and factories after 1988 and is known for the use of unconventional materials and “shock tactics” in his paintings, prints, sculptures and other works.

In the 1990s, Hirst said, “I can’t wait to get into a position to make really bad art and get away with it.” And indeed, he is notorious for piquing critics and baffling the public with such pieces as his signature glass vitrines containing dead sheep or sharks in formaldehyde, and his diamond-encrusted skull, For the Love of God.

Working primarily in sculpture, Hirst takes after French modernist master Marcel Duchamp in his use of ready-made objects and materials, which he combines to ironic effect. He often creates in series, as with "The Cure (Violet)" and "The Cure (Turquoise)," both from 2014, which are among several pill paintings referencing Andy Warhol’s embrace of mass production.

Belonging to Hirst's ongoing series of “spot” paintings, begun in the 1980s, the 2005 piece Xylene Cyanol Dye Solution is striking for its machinelike, industrial uniformity and almost childlike simplicity, a seeming rebuke to the idea of the artist-as-genius.

In addition to making art, Hirst has launched stores that sell editioned works (Other Criteria), a restaurant (Pharmacy2) and even his own London museum (Newport Street Gallery).

Find original Damien Hirst paintings, prints and other works on 1stDibs.

Average Sold Price
$7,223
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H10-3 Theodora
By Damien Hirst
Located in London, GB
H10-3 Theodora, Giclee Print on Aluminium Composite by Damien Hirst, 2022 Hirst’s art both shocks and amazes. His works are challenging both visually and philosophically and continu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Damien Hirst

Materials

Glitter, Giclée, Screen

H10-3 Theodora
H10-3 Theodora
H 39.38 in W 39.38 in D 0.79 in
Wheel Within A Wheel, from In A Spin Series
By Damien Hirst
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Damien Hirst Wheel Within A Wheel, from In A Spin: The Action Of The World On Things 2002 Spin etching S: 36 x 28 in. I: 9 x 7 3/4 ...
Category

Early 2000s Young British Artists (YBA) Damien Hirst

Materials

Etching

H5-3 Camino Real Damien Hirst Abstract Spot Signed Print
By Damien Hirst
Located in Bristol, GB
Diasec-mounted Giclee print on aluminium panel Edition of 100 Signed and numbered on the back Mint. Sold in the original packaging Our mission is to connect art collectors to opport...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Damien Hirst

Materials

Giclée

Damien Hirst, Fruitful (Small) - Signed Print, YBAs, Abstract Art
By Damien Hirst
Located in Hamburg, DE
Damien Hirst (British, born 1965) Fruitful, 2020 Medium: Laminated Giclee print on aluminium composite panel Dimensions: 39 x 39 cm Edition of 3308: Printed signature and edition num...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Damien Hirst

Materials

Panel, Giclée

Forgotten Thoughts
By Damien Hirst
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"Forgotten Thoughts" is a butterfly painting by Damien Hirst. The painting is signed, dated and titled verso, "Forgotten Thoughts, 2008, Damien Hirst (Encircled Hirst cross symbol)". The framed piece measures 69 1/2 x 69 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. A leading figure in the Young British Artists movement in the late 1980s and 1990s, Damien Hirst (born 1965 in Bristol, England) became controversial for his dead animal displays and spin paintings. Raised Catholic in Leeds, he had a well-pronounced dark side as a child, when he showed an interest in the gruesome aspects of life. In 1988, while studying art at Goldsmith’s College at the University of London, he assembled a ground-breaking exhibition featuring works by Fiona Rae, Sarah Lucas, and others, as well as his own. They became known as the YBAs, distinguished by their use of unusual materials and for their challenging art concepts. Advertising mogul and art collector Charles Saatchi started investing in Hirst’s work. Following his first solo show at London’s Woodstock Street Gallery in 1991, Hirst participated in the Young British Artists show at the Saatchi Gallery, famously exhibiting The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, a 14-foot-long glass tank...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Damien Hirst

Materials

House Paint

3-Methylthymidine
By Damien Hirst
Located in Bristol, GB
Screenprint with glaze and diamond dust Edition of 100 Signed and numbered on the back Condition upon request Float-mounted with UV-resistant low glare glass Frame: 94.5 x 79.5 x 5 c...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Damien Hirst

Materials

Glaze, Screen

Damien Hirst, Fruitful (Large): Contemporary Art, Abstract Print, YBA, British
By Damien Hirst
Located in Hamburg, DE
Damien Hirst (British, born 1965) Fruitful (Large), 2020 Medium: Laminated Giclee print on aluminium composite panel Dimensions: 78 x 78 cm Edition of 1928: Digitally signed by the a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Damien Hirst

Materials

Panel, Giclée

H7-1 Butterfly Rainbow (Large)
By Damien Hirst
Located in Bristol, GB
Laminated Giclée print on aluminium composite panel Edition of 1497 Digitally signed by the artist and numbered Mint, as issued Sold in the original Heni packaging Heni Editions
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Damien Hirst

Materials

Panel, Giclée

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Damien Hirst art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Damien Hirst art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of red, blue, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Damien Hirst in digital print, inkjet print, giclée print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Damien Hirst art, so small editions measuring 1 inch across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Alex Katz, Tracey Emin, and Andrew Moore.
Questions About Damien Hirst
  • Large oils are worth many millions of dollars. The value would depend on the size, composition and importance of the piece
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Damien Hirst is a contemporary artist. He is well-known for producing spot paintings that consist of uniform dots of color. However, he primarily works as a sculptor, creating works of art out of found objects. On 1stDibs, find a variety of Damien Hirst art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Damien Hirst credits many sources of inspiration for influencing his work. Pathology textbooks, the British children's television show Blue Peter and his parochial school education inspired various projects. The sculptures and paintings of artist Margaret Mellis and the collages produced by her husband Francis Davison encouraged him to incorporate found objects into his art. Find a selection of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023
    Damien Hirst is successful because his works are imaginative and captivate a wide range of people, not just art aficionados. He is notorious for piquing critics and baffling the public with such pieces as his signature glass vitrines containing dead sheep or sharks in formaldehyde, and his diamond-encrusted skull, For the Love of God. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Damien Hirst art from some of the world's top galleries.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Damien Hirst lives in the United Kingdom. Specifically, he splits his time between residences in the cities of London, Gloucestershire and Devon. He was born in Bristol on June 7, 1965. Shop a large selection of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 27, 2024
    No one knows if Damien Hirst is Banksy. By working in out-of-the-way locations, wearing disguises and enlisting the help of a team of support personnel to assist him, the street artist Banksy has managed to successfully conceal his identity. Some people do suspect that Damien Hirst may be the person behind the Banksy persona due to collaborations between the two. The Daily Mail newspaper identified Robin Gunningham as Banksy during the 2010s, but no one has ever confirmed that the Bristol, UK, native is the street artist. Other people believe that the street artist 3D may be Banksy. Find a diverse assortment of Banksy art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Damien Hirst is famous for creating sculptures out of found objects. One of his most well-known works is For the Love of God, a human skull encrusted with genuine diamonds. You may also recognize the colorful spot paintings that he began creating in the late 1980s. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Damien Hirst art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Damien Hirst was born on June 7, 1965, in Bristol, United Kingdom. He gained fame as a part of the Young British Artists who exhibited their work in London in the late 1980s and early 1990s. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Damien Hirst art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    The original shark by Damien Hirst no longer exists. It deteriorated during the 1990s and was remade in 2006. The name of the piece is The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. Charles Saatchi owns the new work. As of December 2021, the shark is not on public display. Shop a collection of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Damien Hirst was born in Bristol, United Kingdom, on June 7, 1965. During the late 1980s and 1990s, he became famous as one of the Young British Artists who showed their works in warehouses and galleries throughout London. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Damien Hirst art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Damien Hirst doesn't use any specific materials to produce his art. Instead, he employs different media that suit the subject of his work. Often, Hirst combines found objects to create collages or converts them into sculptures. He made his spot series by painstakingly applying paint to walls and other materials. Find a collection of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023
    Damien Hirst’s art is so controversial largely because he intends for it to be. In the 1990s, Hirst said, “I can’t wait to get into a position to make really bad art and get away with it.” And indeed, he is notorious for piquing critics and baffling the public with such pieces as his signature glass vitrines containing dead sheep or sharks in formaldehyde, and his diamond-encrusted skull, For the Love of God. Working primarily in sculpture, Hirst takes after French modernist master Marcel Duchamp in his use of ready-made objects and materials, which he combines to ironic effect, and the results are met with mixed reactions. Shop a selection of Damien Hirst art from some of the world’s top galleries on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    For the Love of God by Damien Hirst is at the White Cube Gallery in London, United Kingdom. Hirst made the sculpture in 2007. It consists of a human skull covered in genuine diamonds. Shop a range of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Damien Hirst uses a variety of techniques to create his art. His early spot paintings were paint applied directly to the walls of warehouses using mathematical calculations as a guide. Pieces from his biopsy series consisted of inkjet and gloss and found materials applied to canvas. Damien Hirst repurposes everyday objects to produce many of his sculptures. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Damien Hirst art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Damien Hirst is well-known for his spot paintings, of which he created thirteen series. His first series alone, known as the “Pharmaceutical” series, totaled more than 1,000 paintings. In 2013, Hirst revealed that there are 1,365 spot paintings in existence today. Find a selection of Damien Hirst paintings from top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    An anonymous group of investors owns Damien Hirst's For the Love of God as of January 2022. The group purchased the diamond-encrusted skull in August 2007. It is currently on display at the White Cube Gallery in London, UK. Find a range of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2024
    Whether or not Damien Hirst prints are a good investment will depend upon a range of factors such as condition, rarity and more. The British artist initially came to the attention of the art world for his curating skills, bursting onto the scene with the now legendary exhibition “Freeze,” which he organized in a derelict southeast London dock warehouse in 1988. But what earned him notoriety were his in-your-face artworks, such as a dead cow’s head and flies and a menagerie of sliced up animals, as well as his rock-and-roll lifestyle of boozing, drug taking and exhibitionism. In 2008, Hirst bypassed his established dealers and sold more than 200 works at auction for $170 million.

    Determining the value of any collectible depends upon a variety of aspects. Because Hirst, a former member of the Young British Artists movement, is so well-known for his provocative sculptures and other works of Conceptual art, this can have a positive effect on the long-term value of his prints.

    New collectors are often directed toward prints as a starting point. Accessibility, however, does not mean prints appreciate at a different pace from other mediums. The market for paintings increases parallel to the prints market. It's good to keep in mind that price is not the only practical reason to embrace the medium. Prints are often a more feasible way of acquiring works by an artist you love but who tends to create objects you could never house.

    Hirst has frequently landed on animals and insects when searching for subjects for his prints and other works that could capture the fragility and fleetingness of existence. His lush, blood-red series of giclée prints titled “The Empresses” contains five different editions, each named for a historical female ruler, and each printed with a complex pattern of butterflies on aluminum accented with glitter.

    At 1stDibs, we believe in buying what you love. Our shopping experience enables discovery and learning, whether you are a seasoned connoisseur or just beginning your collection. Buyers should keep in mind that the value of any investment is subject to fluctuation, and any investment decisions should be made according to the guidance of a financial advisor.

    Find a range of authentic Damien Hirst prints and other art on 1stDibs.

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