Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Damien Hirst

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Damien Hirst made an impact.

Damien Hirst is a prominent English artist and art collector, known as one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who significantly impacted the UK art world in the 1990s. Reputedly the wealthiest living artist in the UK, Hirst's career was initially intertwined with collector Charles Saatchi. Their collaborative relationship eventually dissolved due to growing tensions in 2003. Hirst's work is often characterized by controversial themes and materials, solidifying his place as a major figure in contemporary art.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1987: Old Court Gallery Exhibition

In 1987, Damien Hirst had an exhibition with Holden Rowan at the Old Court Gallery in Windsor Arts Centre, UK. Derek Culley was the curator.

July 1988: Organized Freeze Exhibition

In July 1988, during his second year at Goldsmiths College, Damien Hirst organized the independent student exhibition, Freeze, in London's Docklands. The event was visited by Charles Saatchi, Norman Rosenthal and Nicholas Serota.

1988: Constructions and Sculpture Exhibition

In 1988, Damien Hirst held an exhibition titled "Damien Hirst: Constructions and Sculpture" at the Old Court Gallery in Windsor, UK. The curator was Derek Culley.

1988: Freeze Exhibition

In 1988, Damien Hirst participated in the Freeze exhibition held at Surrey Docks, London, UK, which he organized.

1989: Group Exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery

Already in 1989, Damien Hirst had been part of a group exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris.

1989: New Contemporaries Exhibition

In 1989, Damien Hirst participated in the New Contemporaries exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, UK.

1990: Creation of A Thousand Years

In 1990, Damien Hirst created 'A Thousand Years', a work that contains an actual life cycle, where maggots hatch inside a white minimal box, turn into flies, then feed on a bloody, severed cow's head in a claustrophobic glass vitrine.

1990: Warehouse Shows and Saatchi's Acquisition

In 1990, Damien Hirst curated warehouse shows like Modern Medicine and Gambler with Carl Freedman and Billee Sellman. Charles Saatchi bought Hirst's "A Thousand Years", a large glass case containing maggots and flies feeding on a rotting cow's head. They also staged Michael Landy's Market.

1990: Gambler Exhibition

In 1990, Damien Hirst participated in the Gambler exhibition held at Building One in London, UK.

1990: Modern Medicine Exhibition

In 1990, Damien Hirst showcased his work in the Modern Medicine exhibition held at Building One in London, UK.

1990: Building One Exhibition in Paris

In 1990, Damien Hirst's work was part of the Building One exhibition at the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris, France.

1991: Saatchi Offers Funding

In 1991, Charles Saatchi offered to fund any artwork Hirst wanted to make, leading to the creation of The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.

1991: Creation of The Acquired Inability to Escape

In 1991, Damien Hirst created 'The Acquired Inability to Escape', a sculpture that would be donated to the Tate in 2007.

1991: Creation of Shark in Formaldehyde

In 1991, Damien Hirst created an artwork featuring a large tiger shark suspended in formaldehyde, creating the illusion of the animal being cut into three pieces due to the container's appearance.

1991: First Solo Exhibition and Meeting Jay Jopling

In 1991, Damien Hirst's first solo exhibition, In and Out of Love, was held in London. He also met Jay Jopling, who became his art dealer. The Serpentine Gallery presented Broken English, a survey of new artists partly curated by Hirst.

1992: Turner Prize Nomination

In 1992, Damien Hirst was nominated for the Turner Prize for his first Young British Artists exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in North London, which included his 'The Physical Impossibility of Death...'. However, the award went to Grenville Davey that year.

1992: Young British Artists Exhibition and Turner Prize Nomination

In 1992, Hirst's shark in formaldehyde artwork, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, was showcased at the first Young British Artists exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery and sold for £50,000. Hirst was nominated for the Turner Prize that year.

1993: Venice Biennale Presentation

In 1993, Damien Hirst's first major international presentation was at the Venice Biennale. He showcased the work, Mother and Child Divided, a cow and a calf cut into sections and exhibited in a series of separate vitrines.

1994: Serpentine Gallery Exhibition and Vandalism

In 1994, Damien Hirst curated the show Some Went Mad, Some Ran Away at the Serpentine Gallery, where he exhibited Away from the Flock. Mark Bridger vandalized the artwork by pouring black ink into the tank, leading to a court case.

1995: Turner Prize Win

Damien Hirst won the Turner Prize in 1995.

1995: Turner Prize Win and Video Direction for Blur

In 1995, Damien Hirst won the Turner Prize. He also directed the video for the song Country House for the band Blur.

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1997: Autobiography, Music Collaboration, and Beagle 2 Probe Design

In 1997, Damien Hirst published his autobiography and art book, I Want To Spend the Rest of My Life Everywhere, with Everyone, One to One, Always, Forever, Now. He formed the band Fat Les with Alex James and Keith Allen, achieving a hit song Vindaloo. Hirst also designed a pattern for the Beagle 2 probe.

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I Want to Spend the Rest of My Life Everywhere, with Everyone, One to One, Alway s, Forever, Now

Check it on Amazon

1997: Book reference to vandalism leads to copyright suit

In 1997, When a photograph of Away from the Flock was reproduced in the book by Hirst I want to spend the rest of my life everywhere, with everyone, one-to-one, always, forever, now, the vandalism was referenced by allowing the tank to be obscured by pulling a card, reproducing the effect of ink being poured into the tank; this resulted in Hirst being sued by Bridger for violating his copyright on Black Sheep.

I Want to Spend the Rest of My Life Everywhere, with Everyone, One to One, Alway s, Forever, Now

Check it on Amazon

1997: Sensation Exhibition at the Royal Academy

In 1997, the Sensation exhibition opened at the Royal Academy in London, including Hirst's works like A Thousand Years. The exhibition was seen as the formal acceptance of the YBAs into the establishment.

1999: Venice Biennale Rejection and British Airways Lawsuit Threat

In 1999, Damien Hirst turned down an invitation to be the UK's representative at the Venice Biennale. He also threatened to sue British Airways for copyright infringement over an advert design for its low-budget airline, Go.

1999: Refusal of Venice Biennale and Royal Academian Invitation

In 1999, Damien Hirst was asked to represent the UK in the Venice Biennale or to become a Royal Academian, but he refused both offers.

September 2000: New York Exhibition

In September 2000, Larry Gagosian held Damien Hirst's show, Damien Hirst: Models, Methods, Approaches, Assumptions, Results and Findings, in New York. It attracted 100,000 visitors in 12 weeks and all the work was sold.

2000: Inspiration for Brit Awards Statue

In 2000, Damien Hirst created the LSD "spot painting" which would later inspire the signature NEO-Pop art style used to design the Brit Awards statue in January 2013.

2002: Creation of Who is Afraid of the Dark?

In 2002, Damien Hirst created the 'Who is Afraid of the Dark?' fly painting, that would later be donated to the Tate in 2007.

September 2003: Exhibition and Sculpture Sale

In September 2003, Damien Hirst's exhibition Romance in the Age of Uncertainty at Jay Jopling's White Cube gallery in London, made him a reported £11m. His sculpture, Charity, was sold for £1.5m to Kim Chang-Il.

December 2004: Sale of The Physical Impossibility of Death

In December 2004, Charles Saatchi sold Damien Hirst's The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living for $8 million to Steve Cohen, who then donated it to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

2004: Pharmacy restaurant closes

In 2004, Damien Hirst's best-known restaurant involvement was Pharmacy, located in Notting Hill, London, which closed.

2004: Band Aid 20 Cover Design

In late 2004, Damien Hirst designed a cover image for the Band Aid 20 charity single featuring the "Grim Reaper". However, the design was rejected by record company executives.

March 2005: Gagosian Gallery Exhibition in New York

In March 2005, Damien Hirst exhibited 30 paintings at the Gagosian Gallery in New York. These paintings took him 3½ years to complete and were closely based on photos, mostly by assistants, but with a final finish by Hirst.

February 2006: The Death of God Exhibition in Mexico

In February 2006, Damien Hirst opened a major show in Mexico at the Hilario Galguera Gallery called 'The Death of God, Towards a Better Understanding of Life without God aboard The Ship of Fools'. This exhibition, Hirst's first in Latin America, attracted considerable media coverage.

November 2006: Curator of Serpentine Gallery Exhibition

In November 2006, Damien Hirst was curator of 'In the darkest hour there may be light', shown at the Serpentine Gallery, London. This was the first public exhibition of (a small part of) his own collection, now known as the 'murderme collection'.

June 2007: World Record for Lullaby Spring

In June 2007, Damien Hirst's 'Lullaby Spring', a 3-metre-wide steel cabinet with 6,136 pills, sold for 19.2 million dollars to Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar. This sale set a world record for the most expensive work of art by a living artist.

June 2007: Beyond Belief Exhibition and For the Love of God

In June 2007, Damien Hirst's exhibition 'Beyond Belief' opened at the White Cube gallery in London. The centerpiece was 'For the Love of God', a human skull recreated in platinum and adorned with 8,601 diamonds weighing a total of 1,106.18 carats.

2007: Donation to Tate

In 2007, Damien Hirst donated sculptures to Tate from his own personal collection of works.

August 2008: Sale of For the Love of God

On August 30, 2008, Damien Hirst's artwork 'For the Love of God' was sold to a consortium that included Hirst himself and his gallery White Cube, after not selling outright previously.

September 2008: Beautiful Inside My Head Forever Auction

In September 2008, Damien Hirst bypassed galleries by auctioning his complete show, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, at Sotheby's. The auction raised £111 million ($198 million) and broke the record for a one-artist auction, including £10.3 million for The Golden Calf.

September 2008: Hirst donates work to raise money for Survival International

In September 2008, Damien Hirst donated the work, Beautiful Love Survival, at the Sotheby's London sale, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, to raise money for Survival International.

November 2008: Skull Exhibition at Rijksmuseum

In November 2008, Damien Hirst's skull was exhibited at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam next to an exhibition of paintings from the museum collection selected by Hirst. This exhibition was intended to boost the museum's image and demonstrate its relevance to contemporary art.

2008: Beautiful Inside My Head Forever auction raises US$198 million

In 2008, Damien Hirst's auction, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, raised US$198 million.

September 2009: Requiem Exhibition at Victor Pinchuk Art Centre

In September 2009, the exhibition 'Requiem' took place in the Victor Pinchuk art centre.

October 2009: Hirst contributes to book in support of Survival International

In October 2009, Damien Hirst contributed his writing to the book, We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples, in support of Survival International.

October 2009: No Love Lost Exhibition

In October 2009, Damien Hirst revealed that he had been painting in a style influenced by Francis Bacon for several years. His show of these paintings, 'No Love Lost', was at the Wallace Collection in London.

2011: Album Cover Design for Red Hot Chili Peppers

In 2011, Damien Hirst designed the cover of the Red Hot Chili Peppers album 'I'm with You'.

March 2012: Plans to Open Vauxhall Gallery

In March 2012, Damien Hirst outlined his plans to open a gallery in Vauxhall, London, specifically designed to exhibit his personal collection, which includes five pieces by Francis Bacon.

2012: Appearance on Sgt. Pepper's Album Cover Recreation

In 2012, Damien Hirst was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his album cover for the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

2012: British Union Flag for Olympics Closing Ceremony

In 2012, Damien Hirst's representation of the British Union Flag formed the arena centrepiece for the Summer Olympics closing ceremony in London.

January 2013: Design of Brit Awards Statue

In January 2013, Damien Hirst became the third British artist to design the Brit Awards statue, using his signature NEO-Pop art style inspired by his 2000 LSD "spot painting."

October 2014: Schizophrenogenesis Exhibition

In October 2014, Damien Hirst exhibited big scale capsules, pills, and medicines at the Paul Stolper Gallery titled 'Schizophrenogenesis'.

October 2015: Opening of Newport Street Gallery

In October 2015, Damien Hirst's Newport Street Gallery opened. It is located in a former theater carpentry and scenery production workshops redesigned by Peter St John and Adam Caruso, and runs the length of Newport Street in Vauxhall.

2016: Donation to Art on a Postcard

In 2016 Damien Hirst donated artworks for the secret auction of Art on a Postcard, a charity supporting the fight against Hepatitis C.

2016: The Currency Paintings

In 2016, Damien Hirst allegedly created paintings of colorful dots on A4 paper, which were part of an art project called The Currency.

2016: Damien Hirst designs interiors of Pharmacy 2 restaurant

In 2016, Damien Hirst designed the interiors of his new restaurant Pharmacy 2 at the Newport Street Gallery in Vauxhall, London.

2017: Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable Exhibition

In 2017, Damien Hirst organized, with the Pinault Foundation, a solo exhibition in Venice contemporaneously to the Biennale in two places in the city: Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana. The title of the exhibition was 'Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable', presenting ancient treasures from a sunken Greek ship, with pieces that range from Ancient Egyptian-alike items to Disney character reproductions, encrusted with shells and corals.

2020: Wealth Estimated at US$384 Million

In 2020, Damien Hirst's wealth was estimated at US$384 million in the Sunday Times Rich List, making him the United Kingdom's richest living artist.

July 2021: Hirst announces The Currency NFT project

In July 2021 Damien Hirst announced his first NFT project, named The Currency: it consisted of 10,000 unique hand-painted dot-covered works on paper, each one corresponding to a non-fungible token.

July 2021: Cherry Blossoms Exhibition in Paris

In July 2021, Damien Hirst's series 'Cherry Blossoms' was exhibited at the Foundation Cartier in Paris. The series was exhibited through January 2022.

January 2022: Cherry Blossoms Exhibition in Paris Concludes

In January 2022, Damien Hirst's series 'Cherry Blossoms' exhibition at the Foundation Cartier in Paris concluded. The exhibition had opened in July 2021.