Colorful Circular Butterfly Mandala Pattern, 2010

Damien Hirst (b. 1965, Bristol, United Kingdom) is a leading figure in contemporary British art and a central member of the Young British Artists (YBAs) movement that emerged in the late 1980s. Hirst is renowned for his provocative and conceptual approach, working across a range of media including installation, sculpture, painting, and drawing. His most iconic works often explore themes of mortality, science, and religion, exemplified by his series of preserved animals in formaldehyde, such as "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" (1991), and his spot and spin paintings.

Hirst’s work has been exhibited extensively in major institutions worldwide. Notable solo exhibitions include his 2012 retrospective at Tate Modern, London, and "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable" at Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, Venice, in 2017. His art is held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, and the Tate, London, among others. Hirst has also achieved significant auction milestones, most famously with the 2008 Sotheby’s auction "Beautiful Inside My Head Forever," which realized over £111 million in sales—a record for a single-artist auction at the time. His works continue to command high prices at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips, underscoring his enduring influence on the global art market.