Quinn first came to widespread attention in 1991 with Self, the now-iconic sculpture cast entirely from his own frozen blood. Created using blood collected from the artist over several months and maintained in a refrigerated display case, the work immediately established Quinn as one of the most original and provocative voices in contemporary art. Revisited every five years, Self has become one of the defining artworks of contemporary British art, addressing themes of mortality, self-portraiture and the fragile nature of human existence.

His rapid rise to prominence saw him selected for the Sydney Biennale in 1992 and included in the influential exhibition Young British Artists II at the Saatchi Gallery in 1993. Alongside contemporaries such as Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Sarah Lucas, Quinn helped redefine the landscape of British contemporary art during the 1990s, producing works that combined intellectual rigour with an ability to provoke public debate.

Across a career spanning more than three decades, Quinn has explored a remarkable range of subjects and materials. His sculptures and installations frequently investigate the human body in all its diversity, celebrating forms that have historically been overlooked or excluded from traditional artistic representation. His acclaimed Complete Marbles series, carved from pristine white marble, portrayed individuals with physical disabilities using a material historically reserved for heroes, emperors and gods. These works challenged long-established ideals of beauty while expanding the possibilities of figurative sculpture in the twenty-first century.

In 2001 Quinn was awarded the Charles Wollaston Award at London’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, recognising the most distinguished work in the exhibition. By this stage he had already established an international reputation through major solo exhibitions at institutions including Tate Gallery, Tate Liverpool, Kunstverein Hannover and Fondazione Prada in Milan. His work has since been exhibited extensively throughout Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East, and features in many of the world’s leading public and private collections.

Perhaps Quinn’s most widely recognised public artwork is Alison Lapper Pregnant (2005), a monumental marble sculpture commissioned for the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square. Depicting the artist Alison Lapper during pregnancy, the work reimagined the tradition of public monuments by celebrating contemporary experience, difference and resilience rather than military or political power. Installed in one of Britain’s most prominent public spaces, the sculpture generated widespread attention and debate while becoming one of the most memorable public artworks of modern times. Quinn described the work as a celebration of “the diversity of humanity” and a monument to future possibilities rather than past achievements.

Throughout his practice, Quinn has remained fascinated by the intersections of science, nature and culture. From sculptures of endangered flowers preserved in frozen states to intricate explorations of DNA, evolution and human anatomy, his work consistently examines the tensions between permanence and change, life and death, beauty and decay. His ability to combine conceptual depth with striking visual impact has made him one of the most influential British artists of his generation.

Today, Marc Quinn’s works are held in major museum and institutional collections worldwide, and he continues to be celebrated as an artist whose practice challenges viewers to reconsider accepted ideas about identity, the body and the natural world. Through works that are at once intellectually challenging and visually unforgettable, Quinn has secured his place as one of the leading figures in contemporary international art.