Damien Hirst was born in Bristol in 1965. He studied at Goldsmiths College in London and first came to public attention in 1988 when he conceived and curated "Freeze," an exhibition of his work and that of his friends and fellow students at Goldsmiths. This exhibition was to be the seminal event in the development of the YBA (Young British Artists) movement. The show was attended by the art collector Charles Saatchi who was to develop a long lasting association with Hirst and the YBA movement. In the near quarter century since that pivotal show, Hirst has become one of the most prominent artists of his generation. Many of his works are widely recognized and have become icons of contemporary art, from the shark suspended in formaldehyde, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991) and his spot, spin and butterfly paintings, through to later works such as the diamond skull For the Love of God (2007).

The spin painting being offered for sale is a unique ink and watercolour on paper which was created in 1995 as part of a series of works the artist made in aid of the War Child charity. The painting is a superbly vibrant example of Hirst’s spin technique where the paint is applied onto the paper from above whilst it is being rotated by a spinning wheel. The accidental yet controlled application of the paint results in works which explode with colour and chaos. Hirst’s ‘Spin’ paintings are some of the most recognizable of the artist's oeuvre and have become some of his most sought after body of work. The present painting is a particularly fine example showing great movement and fluidity in the composition.