Origins & Early Life

Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist and art collector. He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest living artist, with his wealth estimated at US$384 million in the 2020 Sunday Times Rich List. During the 1990s his career was closely linked with the collector Charles Saatchi, but increasing frictions came to a head in 2003 and the relationship ended.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Death is a central theme in Hirst's works. He became famous for a series of artworks in which dead animals (including a shark, a sheep, a pig, and a cow) are preserved, sometimes having been dissected, in formaldehyde. The best-known of these is The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, a 14-foot (4.3 m) tiger shark immersed in formaldehyde in a clear display case. In September 2008, Hirst made an unprecedented move for a living artist by selling a complete show, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, at Sotheby's by auction and bypassing his long-standing galleries. The auction raised £111 million ($198 million), breaking the record for a one-artist auction as well as Hirst's...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aamir Khan — Contemporary (Born in 1965) (1965): Iconic Indian actor and filmmaker, known for his dedication to cinematic perfection.
• Albert Schweitzer — Contemporary (Died in 1965) (1965): German polymath renowned for theology, music, and 'Reverence for Life'
• Bashar al-Assad — Contemporary (Born in 1965) (1965): Former President of Syria, known for his authoritarian rule and role in the Syrian Civil War.
• Al-Nasir Muhammad — Shared historical date (06-07 · Died) (1341): Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, known for his extensive, though turbulent, rule across several decades.
• Alan Turing — Shared historical date (06-07 · Died) (1954): Father of theoretical computer science, known for the Turing machine and codebreaking.
• Ben Stiller — Historical peer (Born in 1965) (1965): Versatile American actor, comedian, and filmmaker known for sharp wit and slapstick humor.
• Björk — Historical peer (Born in 1965) (1965): Icelandic pioneer celebrated for her eclectic voice and boundary-pushing musical artistry.
• Alan Parker — Historical peer (Died in 2020) (2020): Acclaimed English filmmaker known for genre versatility and numerous BAFTA and Golden Globe wins.
• Armando Manzanero — Historical peer (Died in 2020) (2020): Mexican composer and singer, celebrated for defining the romantic sound of postwar Latin America.
• Alberto Sordi — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pillar of Italian Cinema, master of Commedia all'italiana comedy.
• 1965 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1965
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