His stepfather was reportedly a motor mechanic. He never met his father his mother married his stepfather when Hirst was two, and the couple divorced 10 years later. Hirst was born Damien Steven Brennan in Bristol and grew up in Leeds.
He became famous for a series of artworks in which dead animals (including a shark, a sheep and a cow) are preserved, sometimes having been dissected, in formaldehyde. ĭeath is a central theme in Hirst's works.
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. He is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest living artist, with his wealth estimated at $384 million in the 2020 Sunday Times Rich List. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. The Damien Hirst Room at Arken Museum of Modern Art, Denmarkīrennan born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector.