Damien Hirst was born in Bristol, England in 1965. The artist spent the majority of his childhood and teenage years in Leeds, before moving to London in 1984. Damien Hirst worked in construction before enrolling in Goldsmiths College in 1986, graduating in 1989 with a BA in Fine Art. The artist first came to public attention while at Goldsmiths, where he conceived and curated ‘Freeze’ in 1988, a group exhibition showcasing the artists own work alongside that of his fellow students at Goldsmiths. Awarded the Turner prize in 1995, Damien Hirst has become a leading figure for the Young British Artists movement, and currently holds records for the highest amount paid for a single work of art by a living European artist, as well as for the highest total sales at auction for a single artist. Damien Hirst currently lives and works in Devon and London, England.