Damien Hirst

Whenever I've been well-known or hitting the press, I've always had to get my credit card out to prove I'm Damien Hirst. ”

It's good to have a title that's not just one word. If you're gonna title it, you might as well try and say something. ”

I had a passport where I wrote 'artist' under 'occupation' and I remember thinking, 'That's it, it's proved!' ”

But the answer to how to live is to stop thinking about it. And just to live. But you're doing that anyway. However you intellectualise it, you still just live. ”

The idea of going on tour for the rest of my life with old works is not that exciting. As an artist I definitely think the work in future is going to be better than the work in the past, otherwise why do it? ”

I used to watch 'Top of the Pops' when I was a kid and say 'Yeah!' or 'Boo!' at every single song. So there was nothing in the middle. You brutally put it on one side or another. ”

I have always been aware that you have to get people listening before you can change their minds. Any artist's big fear is being ignored, so if you get debate, that's great. ”

I was brought up Catholic, and I felt the power of art from a very young age - seeing the brutality of all those images of flayed apostles and tortured saints was a pretty strong introduction. ”

I've spent a long time avoiding painting and dealing with it from a distance. But as I get older, I'm more comfortable with it. ”

I was taught to confront things you can't avoid. Death is one of those things. To live in a society where you're trying not to look at it is stupid because looking at death throws us back into life with more vigour and energy. The fact that flowers don't last for ever makes them beautiful. ”