1. Damien Hirst

With his provocative and frequently unnerving works, Damien Hirst became one of the most well-known and controversial artists of the 1990s, creating a lasting impression on contemporary art. Hirst, born in Bristol, England, in 1965, became famous for his conceptual approach to art, which questioned conventional ideas of commercialism, mortality, and beauty.

2. Wolfgang Tillmans

Wolfgang Tillmans emerged as a prominent presence in the 1990s art scene while being best known for his revolutionary work in the early 2000s. His creative approach to photography defied accepted norms, making him a crucial figure in this decade of change.

3. Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky rose to notoriety in the art world throughout this decade while being best recognised for his breakthrough work in the 1990s. He was a crucial character in contemporary art because of his unique photographic style and method, especially in the large-scale, digitally altered photos that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of globalised modernity.

4. Maurizio Cattelan

Maurizio Cattelan gained notoriety in the art world in the 1990s, even though he is most recognised for his provocative and frequently contentious works of art that emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. During this time, his work had a significant influence since it was marked by sardonic humour and irreverent commentary on institutions and societal standards.

5. Maurizio Cattelan

Known for his innovative and diverse style that pushed conventional limits and examined issues of memory, trauma, and popular culture, Mike Kelley was a crucial character in the 1990s art scene. Kelley, born in 1954 and unfortunately died in 2012, significantly influenced modern art, especially in the 1990s.

6. Rirkrit Tiravanija

The 1990s saw the rise of well-known contemporary artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, who contributed substantially to conceptual art. His groundbreaking work in relational aesthetics is what made him most famous. Tiravanija, born in 1961 to Thai parents in Argentina, owes much of his artistic sensibility to his cross-cultural upbringing.

7. Mona Hatoum

Born in Palestine, Mona Hatoum is a well-known artist from the 1990s who is praised for her provocative and frequently frightening works that examine identity, displacement, and the human condition.  

8. Vanessa Beecroft

In the 1990s, Vanessa Beecroft became well-known as an artist, drawing attention to herself with her daring and controversial performances that mixed fashion, art, and social criticism. Her work frequently questioned preconceived ideas about art and spectatorship by examining themes of identity, beauty, and the exploitation of the feminine form.

9. Douglas Gordon

In the 1990s, Douglas Gordon became well-known in art for his thought-provoking and philosophically complex pieces, frequently dealing with memory, time, and perception themes. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1966, Gordon works in various media, such as text-based pieces, photography, and video installations.

10. Richard Billingham

British photographer and artist Richard Billingham rose to fame in the 1990s with his candid and accurate depictions of working-class British life. His work, mainly the “Ray’s a Laugh” series, came to represent a new movement in documentary photography that questioned accepted ideas about domesticity and family dynamics.

11. Daniel Joseph Martinez

Daniel Joseph Martinez is a renowned personality in modern art, well recognised for his politically charged and thought-provoking pieces that first gained prominence in the 1990s. His art frequently forces viewers to face brutal realities about themselves and society by challenging traditional ideas of identity, authority, and cultural hegemony.

12. Carsten Höller

Even though he isn’t usually associated with the 1990s art movement, Carsten Höller became a well-known contemporary artist in the following years thanks to his immersive and frequently humorous installations. Höller, born in 1961 in Belgium, creates art in various media, such as installation, sculpture, video, and photography.