Last updated: 27 October 2026
Angus Fairhurst was the Goldsmiths artist behind the gorilla sculptures and cut-up advertising images. Here you will find our take on his work, his shows and where to buy.
Our take on Angus Fairhurst
Fairhurst was one of the Goldsmiths students in Freeze in 1988. In 2004 he showed with Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst in In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida at Tate Britain.
The gorilla came back in his work from 1993 onwards, in drawings, performance and bronze. His All Evidence of Man Removed series scratched the people out of postcards.
Of one print series he said, as quoted by Paul Stolper: “I wanted to play on the misalignment of the hard form and the notion of feeling, both physical and emotional, which is something you cannot be so sure about.”
Angus Fairhurst: the essentials
- Born in Kent in 1966. Died in March 2008, aged 41.
- Graduated from Goldsmiths College in 1989.
- His bronze A Couple of Differences Between Thinking and Feeling (2000) is in the South London Gallery collection.
- Shown by Sadie Coles HQ, London.
Angus Fairhurst exhibitions
- Angus Fairhurst, Spritmuseum, Stockholm, 23 October 2019 to 31 May 2020.
- Unprinted, prints from 1992 to 2006, Paul Stolper, London, 27 June to 30 August 2014.
- A touring retrospective at Arnolfini, Bristol, Waddesdon Manor and M Museum, Leuven, 2009 to 2010.
Where to buy an Angus Fairhurst work
We found no Fairhurst print on sale in the UK when we checked.
- Drawing: Drawing I (1995), ink on paper, 29.6 x 19.1 cm (11.7 x 7.5 in), £6,300 at Paul Stolper.
- Book: the Angus Fairhurst monograph from Sadie Coles HQ and Philip Wilson, 144 pages, £10 at Antenne Books.
Angus Fairhurst FAQs
Was Angus Fairhurst a YBA?
Yes. He was in Freeze in 1988 with Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas, and showed with them at Tate Britain in 2004.
Why did Angus Fairhurst make gorillas?
The gorilla recurs in his work from 1993, in drawings, performance and bronze sculpture.
When did Angus Fairhurst die?
In March 2008, aged 41.
Where can I buy an Angus Fairhurst drawing?
Paul Stolper in London lists Drawing I (1995) at £6,300.
More from CoolCuration
- Tracey Emin at Tate Modern review: another artist who came up with the YBAs.
- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting prints.
- Gifts for artists: our edit of presents for people who make things.
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Main image: Angus Fairhurst, A Couple of Differences Between Thinking and Feeling, St Mary Axe, London. Photo: Beata May via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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