Chicken

1984–2009 · Virkested

London

1992–2012

Life with Maia Norman

From 1992 to 2012 Hirst lives with the American Maia Norman; their three sons are born in 1995, 2000 and 2005. They were never married, but Hirst called her his “common-law wife”.

1997

The Sensation exhibition at the Royal Academy

A Thousand Years and other works by Hirst are included; the main controversy arises over other artists’ works, but the show is nevertheless seen as the formal acceptance of the Young British Artists into the establishment.

1997

The book I Want To Spend the Rest of My Life… is published

Hirst’s autobiography and art book I Want To Spend the Rest of My Life Everywhere, with Everyone, One to One, Always, Forever, Now is published. A photograph of Away from the Flock is reproduced in it so that the tank can be obscured by pulling a card, recalling the pouring of the ink, and Mark Bridger sues Hirst for violating his copyright on Black Sheep.

1999

Declines to represent Britain in Venice

Hirst turns down the British Council’s invitation to represent the UK at the 1999 Venice Biennale because, he says, “it didn’t feel right”.

September 2000

A Gagosian show: 100,000 visitors in 12 weeks

Larry Gagosian holds the show Models, Methods, Approaches, Assumptions, Results and Findings in New York: 100,000 people visit it in 12 weeks and all the work is sold.