Hirst, Damien (1965- )

English sculptor, painter, and designer. He won the Turner Prize in 1995 with Mother and Child Divided, a bisected cow and calf presented in a glass case. His installation works include Away from the Flock (1994), a sheep pickled in formaldehyde and displayed in glass.

The main focus of his work has been an exploration of mortality, notably in his Natural History series in which dead animals are presented as reminders of death, evoking the fragility of life. Some of these works have provoked demonstrations by animal lovers. His other work has included abstract paintings and the design of restaurants. In 1997 he published a book on his life and work, I Want to Spend the Rest of My Life Everywhere, with Everyone, One to One, Always, Forever.

Hirst studied at Goldsmiths' College, London, from 1986 to 1989, and first attracted attention for organizing an exhibition of student work called Freeze in 1988. The talent for publicity shown on this occasion helped his swift rise as the best-known British avant-garde artist of his generation.