Last updated: 27 October 2026
Damien Hirst is the Bristol-born artist behind the shark in formaldehyde and the diamond skull, and the student who organised Freeze in 1988. Here you will find our take on his work, where it is on show now, and a Tate print you can buy for £30.
Our take on Damien Hirst
Hirst organised the exhibition Freeze in 1988 while he was still a student at Goldsmiths, according to Tate, and it is often treated as the starting point of the Young British Artists. He won the Turner Prize in 1995.
His best-known works deal with death and science: A Thousand Years (1990), a vitrine in which flies hatch, feed and die; The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991), the shark; and For the Love of God (2007), a platinum skull set with diamonds.
You can see his work in London now in The 90s: Art and Fashion at Tate Britain. The cheapest way to take some home is a Tate poster of his 1993 sharks, at £30.
Damien Hirst: the essentials
- Born in Bristol in 1965; based in London and Gloucestershire, according to White Cube.
- Organised Freeze in 1988 while a student at Goldsmiths.
- Won the Turner Prize in 1995.
- Key works include A Thousand Years (1990), Pharmacy (1992) and Mother and Child (Divided) (1993).
- Tate holds 59 of his works, according to its collection.
Damien Hirst exhibitions
- On now: The 90s: Art and Fashion (group), Tate Britain, London, 8 October 2026 to 14 February 2027. Tickets £22.
- Nothing Is True But Everything Is Possible, MMCA Seoul, 20 March to 28 June 2026.
- Albertina Modern, Vienna, 7 May to 12 October 2025.
- Museo Jumex, Mexico City, 23 March to 25 August 2024.
Where to buy a Damien Hirst print
Signed originals and editions sell through his galleries and at auction. One affordable piece in the UK:
- Two Similar Swimming Forms in Infinite Flight poster, £30: a 50 x 70 cm (19.7 x 27.6 in) poster of the 1993 shark piece, made for The 90s, from the Tate shop. It is an open poster, not a signed edition.
Damien Hirst FAQs
Where can I see Damien Hirst’s work in London?
At Tate Britain, in The 90s: Art and Fashion, until 14 February 2027.
When did Damien Hirst win the Turner Prize?
In 1995.
What was Freeze?
A 1988 exhibition Hirst organised while studying at Goldsmiths. Tate describes it as a starting point for the Young British Artists.
Where is Damien Hirst from?
He was born in Bristol in 1965.
More from CoolCuration
- Tracey Emin at Tate Modern review: another artist who came up with the YBAs.
- Frieze London review: our take on the latest fair.
- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting prints.
- National Art Pass: discounts on big shows across the UK, including at Tate.
Think we’re missing something, got something wrong, or want to be featured? Contact us.
Main image: Damien Hirst, Gagosian, New York, 2012. Photo: Andrew Russeth via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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