This quiz looks at the career of Damien Hirst, one of the most polarizing figures in modern British art. His preserved animals and diamond-encrusted skulls continue to spark debate around the world.
You will see questions about his famous spot paintings, early career milestones, and his key collectors. Some questions focus on specific materials, while others ask you to recall his key themes.
When you finish, try our quizzes on contemporary art, learn about famous artists, or read about legacy art movements.
Which London art college did Damien Hirst and several other Young British Artists attend in the late 1980s?
Goldsmiths College
Goldsmiths College
Central Saint Martins
Central Saint Martins
Chelsea College of Arts
Chelsea College of Arts
Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
What category of Damien Hirst’s work is exemplified by the suspended shark titled ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’?
Spin paintings
Spin paintings
Natural history pieces in formaldehyde
Natural history pieces in formaldehyde
Spot paintings
Spot paintings
Medicine cabinets
Medicine cabinets
Which of the following is true about Damien Hirst’s series of ‘spot paintings’?
They are primarily painted by assistants rather than the artist himself
They are primarily painted by assistants rather than the artist himself
They are painted using watercolor on raw canvas
They are painted using watercolor on raw canvas
They are all exactly the same size and contain exactly 100 spots
They are all exactly the same size and contain exactly 100 spots
They only feature primary colors in a triangular pattern
They only feature primary colors in a triangular pattern
What is the physical nature of Damien Hirst’s controversial work titled ‘For the Love of God’?
A human skull covered in diamonds
A human skull covered in diamonds
A self-portrait made of gold leaf
A self-portrait made of gold leaf
A larger-than-life heart made of solid ruby
A larger-than-life heart made of solid ruby
A replica of a vintage car made of silver
A replica of a vintage car made of silver
Which collector was instrumental in the financial success and curation of the Young British Artists movement in the 1990s?
Nicholas Serota
Nicholas Serota
Larry Gagosian
Larry Gagosian
Jay Jopling
Jay Jopling
Charles Saatchi
Charles Saatchi
At which institution did Hirst study when he organized the foundational ‘Freeze’ exhibition in 1988?
Central Saint Martins
Central Saint Martins
Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
Slade School of Fine Art
Slade School of Fine Art
Goldsmiths, University of London
Goldsmiths, University of London
What animal is suspended in formaldehyde in the 1991 artwork ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’?
Zebra
Zebra
Cow
Cow
Sheep
Sheep
Tiger shark
Tiger shark
What did Damien Hirst name his seminal 1989 series of twelve medicine cabinets after?
Characters from Shakespearean plays
Characters from Shakespearean plays
Famous medical researchers
Famous medical researchers
Tracks from a Sex Pistols album
Tracks from a Sex Pistols album
Chemical elements from the periodic table
Chemical elements from the periodic table
What is the overarching concept behind the naming conventions of Hirst’s spot paintings?
The chemical composition of pharmaceutical drugs
The chemical composition of pharmaceutical drugs
The study of Victorian fashion
The study of Victorian fashion
The infinite variety of colors in the universe
The infinite variety of colors in the universe
The rejection of artistic authorship
The rejection of artistic authorship
Approximately how many diamonds were used to cover the ‘For the Love of God’ skull?
9,120
9,120
8,950
8,950
8,105
8,105
8,601
8,601
Which seminal 1997 exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts brought the work of the YBAs to mainstream media attention?
‘Brilliant!’
‘Brilliant!’
‘Sensation’
‘Sensation’
‘Modern Medicine’
‘Modern Medicine’
‘Freeze’
‘Freeze’
What was featured in Hirst’s 1993 work ‘Mother and Child Divided’?
A cow and a calf cut into sections
A cow and a calf cut into sections
A shark suspended in formaldehyde
A shark suspended in formaldehyde
A pig cut in half and suspended in formaldehyde
A pig cut in half and suspended in formaldehyde
A sheep suspended in formaldehyde
A sheep suspended in formaldehyde
Which former director of the Tate was a significant public defender of Damien Hirst’s work?
Sir Norman Rosenthal
Sir Norman Rosenthal
Sir Peter Cook
Sir Peter Cook
Sir Thomas Crow
Sir Thomas Crow
Sir Nicholas Serota
Sir Nicholas Serota
Why did the shark in Hirst’s iconic piece undergo a massive restoration and replacement in 2006?
The ethics of using real human remains
The ethics of using real human remains
The plagiarism of the spot paintings
The plagiarism of the spot paintings
The decomposition of the original shark
The decomposition of the original shark
The legal rights to the diamond skull pattern
The legal rights to the diamond skull pattern
In many of Hirst’s paintings, the spot or dot patterns are named after:
Perfume ingredients
Perfume ingredients
Pharmaceutical drugs
Pharmaceutical drugs
Industrial pesticides
Industrial pesticides
Common household cleaners
Common household cleaners
What original human feature was retained in the ‘For the Love of God’ piece?
A small gold cross hidden in the cranium
A small gold cross hidden in the cranium
The teeth of the original skull
The teeth of the original skull
A shark jawbone
A shark jawbone
A custom-made diamond setting tool
A custom-made diamond setting tool
What was the title of Hirst’s ambitious 2017 exhibition in Venice featuring fake artifacts?
‘The Impossibility of Death’
‘The Impossibility of Death’
‘Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable’
‘Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable’
‘No Future’
‘No Future’
‘The Innuguration’
‘The Innuguration’
What is the method behind Damien Hirst’s “spin paintings”?
A collection of old film reels from the 1960s
A collection of old film reels from the 1960s
An electric drill mounted on a canvas
An electric drill mounted on a canvas
A motorized machine that spins canvas to disperse paint
A motorized machine that spins canvas to disperse paint
A series of digital prints made by computers
A series of digital prints made by computers
What is depicted in the installation titled ‘Away from the Flock’?
A pig cut in half
A pig cut in half
A lamb preserved in formaldehyde
A lamb preserved in formaldehyde
A horse suspended in clear resin
A horse suspended in clear resin
A shark suspended in water
A shark suspended in water
Damien Hirst won which prestigious British arts award in 1995?
The Turner Prize
The Turner Prize
The Stirling Prize
The Stirling Prize
The Beck’s Future Prize
The Beck’s Future Prize
The Booker Prize
The Booker Prize
What technical element consistently links many of Hirst’s most famous 1990s installations?
The excessive use of gold and diamonds
The excessive use of gold and diamonds
The abandonment of conceptualism for realism
The abandonment of conceptualism for realism
The focus on minimalist sculpture over painting
The focus on minimalist sculpture over painting
The use of real biological materials
The use of real biological materials
What is widely considered the central philosophical theme recurring throughout Damien Hirst’s body of work?
The influence of the Renaissance on contemporary art
The influence of the Renaissance on contemporary art
The political protest against the British government
The political protest against the British government
The cycle of life and death, and the fragility of existence
The cycle of life and death, and the fragility of existence
The glorification of modern consumer culture
The glorification of modern consumer culture
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If you enjoyed this, we have more trivia to try. Check out our questions on sculpture, find facts about museums and galleries, or view some odd art curiosities.
