A man with blue eyes and a beard holding a colorful, polka-dotted, rectangular object with a serious expression.
Indelible Artist

Damien Hirst

One of the defining figures of contemporary British art, Damien Hirst built an unmistakable visual language around beauty, mortality, belief and repetition. From butterflies and spots to pharmaceuticals and monumental installations, his work turns familiar symbols into highly controlled systems.

Born 1965Young British ArtistsTurner Prize 1995Prints & editions
Shop Damien HirstEnquire
Damien Hirst - Civilisation Rising

Biography

Artist background

Damien Hirst was born in Bristol in 1965 and became a central figure in the generation later known as the Young British Artists. His rise in the late 1980s and 1990s helped reshape the international perception of contemporary British art.

Across sculpture, installation, painting and editions, Hirst repeatedly returns to systems and symbols: butterflies, pharmaceutical packaging, spots, skulls, vitrines and serial structures. Beneath the polished surfaces sit persistent questions about life, death, faith, science and value.

For collectors, the series structure is particularly important. Edition, scale, colourway, signature, condition and the relationship of an individual work to a larger body all form part of understanding a Hirst edition.

At a glance
Born1965, Bristol
MovementYoung British Artists
AwardTurner Prize, 1995
Known forButterflies, spots & vitrines
ThemesLife, death, beauty & belief
CollectingSeries, edition & condition

Available works

Current live selection
Damien Hirst - Civilisation Exploding

Civilisation Exploding

£8,000 • H17-4 • 2024 • Signed & numbered
Damien Hirst - Civilisation Explained

Civilisation Explained

£8,000 • Civilisation series • Signed edition
Damien Hirst - Civilisation Falling

Civilisation Falling

£8,000 • Civilisation series • Signed edition
Damien Hirst - Civilisation Rising

Civilisation Rising

£8,000 • Civilisation series • Signed edition
Damien Hirst - Theodora

Theodora

£5,000 • H10-3 • The Empresses
Damien Hirst - Wu Zetian

Wu Zetian

£5,000 • H10-1 • The Empresses
Damien Hirst - Suiko

Suiko

£5,000 • The Empresses • Signed edition
Damien Hirst - Nur Jahan

Nur Jahan

£5,000 • H10-2 • The Empresses
View all Damien Hirst works

Highlights

Why collectors respond
  • One of the most internationally recognised names in contemporary British art.
  • Highly identifiable motifs with substantial visual impact.
  • Strong series-based collecting across editions and colourways.
  • The current Indelible selection spans both the Civilisation and Empresses bodies of work.
  • Clear points of comparison around edition, scale, framing and condition.

References

Institutional context

These institutional and artist-led resources provide further context for Hirst’s career, major bodies of work and place within contemporary British art.

TateMuseum context for Hirst’s practice and role within contemporary British art.GagosianExhibition history and broader context across the artist’s major bodies of work.Damien HirstThe artist’s official site, including works, projects and studio information.Tate Modern retrospectiveContext around the major 2012 retrospective surveying more than two decades of Hirst’s career.

At Indelible

Current collection

Our current Damien Hirst selection is particularly strong in two recognised edition series: Civilisation and The Empresses. The four Civilisation works are currently listed individually at £8,000, while Theodora, Wu Zetian, Suiko and Nur Jahan are each listed at £5,000.

The gallery also currently lists The Empresses as a complete set at £17,000. We can advise on individual editions versus collecting a complete group, along with framing, condition and presentation.

Explore the current Damien Hirst selection or contact us for edition details, condition information and collecting advice.

Shop Damien HirstEnquire