Born in Bristol in the UK in 1965, Damien Hirst is one of the most controversial and highly regarded artists of his generation. His wideranging practice, which includes installation, painting, sculpture and drawing, challenges the boundaries between art, science and popular culture. Published to accompany Hirst’s first retrospective exhibition in the UK, staged at Tate Modern during the Olympics in 2012, this book will trace Hirst’s career from his emergence on the art scene in the late 1980s to his present status as one of the best- known artists working today.

With an introduction by curator Ann Gallagher, a new interview by Nicholas Serota, Director of Tate, and essays by curator Andrew Wilson, author and critic Brian Dillon and art historian and critic Thomas Crow, as well as shorter texts on key moments in Hirst’s career by Michael Craig-Martin and Michael Bracewell, this superbly illustrated survey is a fitting tribute to his ground-breaking achievements. Surveying 25 years of the artist’s practice, from young Turk of the British art scene to internationally respected figure, this book makes a major contribution to our understanding and appreciation of one the most significant artists of our time.