Perché collezionare Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst is one of the boldest, most collected artists today. Explore his market, iconic works, and how to access them fractionally with Collecto.
Damien Hirst is a central figure in contemporary art. Born in Bristol in 1965, he has redefined what it means to be an artist: a provocateur, entrepreneur, and aesthetic scientist. From his role in the Young British Artists movement to his €100 million diamond skull For the Love of God, Hirst has created a visual universe where medicine, religion, biology, and branding collide. Collecting him today means investing in a narrative that continues to shape the global art market.
An Artist Who Rewrote the Art World’s Rules
In 1988, while still a student, Hirst organized Freeze, the exhibition that launched the YBA movement—and his career. Every project since has ignited debate, from pill cabinets and real butterflies to diamond-encrusted sculptures and the decision to burn 4,800 original works in The Currency, offering collectors a choice between the physical artwork or its NFT.
Hirst doesn’t just make works—he builds systems, experiences, and moments that define contemporary visual culture.
A Market That Grows, Diversifies, and Holds
Over the past five years, Hirst’s print market has doubled in volume. In 2024 alone, the number of prints sold rose 17% compared to 2023 and 227% compared to 2020. In the past 36 months, his artworks have consistently sold 35% above auction estimates. Even during the COVID-19 crisis, when many artists saw a slowdown, Hirst’s prices climbed at double-digit rates.
His The Virtues series—eight cherry blossom-themed prints inspired by the Bushidō code—has seen a 72% increase in average resale price since its 2021 launch. Sold out in six days, the series generated $22.4M and was later exhibited at Fondation Cartier and the National Art Center in Tokyo, solidifying both institutional and market interest.
Several Maddox clients have recorded strong returns: Raffles (2018) yielded +33%, Notre Dame (2007) and Souls I returned over +35%, while unique works like Truth’s Blossom (2018) saw appreciation of +99%.
What to Collect from Damien Hirst
Hirst’s most in-demand pieces include his Spots series—geometric explorations of color and logic; Spin Paintings, created on rotating canvases and famously produced in collaboration with David Bowie; and his Butterflies, which use real insect wings arranged in mandala-like patterns, symbolizing life and death.
For the Love of God, a platinum cast of a human skull set with 8,601 diamonds, remains one of the most iconic works of 21st-century art and is now also available as a signed print.
His range of formats—sculpture, screenprints, NFTs, installations, and paintings—offers opportunities for both seasoned and emerging collectors to engage with his work at different price points.
Exhibitions, Institutions, and Cultural Weight
Hirst’s works are held by major institutions including MoMA, the Whitney Museum, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Centre Pompidou, and The Broad. He has exhibited at the Venice Biennale and his 2012 retrospective at Tate Modern drew over 460,000 visitors.
In 2024, he released four new series—The Kaleidoscopes, Civilisation, The Archangels, and The Secrets—further proof of a constantly evolving practice that remains under the spotlight.
Damien Hirst has repeatedly proven his ability to reinvent himself. With each phase of his career, he reaches new audiences, crafts new messages, and builds new markets. His works provoke thought while maintaining visual impact—and they deliver strong returns.
His market is mature, well-documented, and highly liquid. It is backed by private collectors, museums, and global brands—and now accessible through fractional collecting models.
Collecting Damien Hirst is a statement. His works merge emotional provocation with conceptual clarity and economic value. Through Collecto, you can access iconic pieces by one of the most audacious, discussed, and collected artists of our time—making a bold move in the world of contemporary art.
