The Young British Artists, or YBAs, rose to prominence in the late 1980s when they began to exhibit together in self-initiated group shows, such as the seminal Freeze exhibition of 1988, organised by Damien Hirst.

Many of the artists in this group attended Goldsmiths College and were taught by Richard Wentworth and Michael Craig-Martin. They were noted for their entrepreneurial spirit, alongside their use of shock tactics, throwaway materials and dark humour. The influence of Minimalism and conceptual art can be seen in much of their work.

They were championed and collected by businessman Charles Saatchi, who exhibited them in Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Gallery at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1997. It was during this period that they attracted considerable media attention.