Damien Hirst says criticism is 'to be expected'

Controversial artist Damien Hirst says he expects his work to be criticised and that he does not let it affect him.

"You've got to ignore it," he told the BBC's Will Gompertz. "I've had negative reactions all through my career.

"I try not to take the nice things that people say seriously," he continued. "Then you can avoid the bad things."

The 46-year-old Bristolian was speaking ahead of a retrospective at Tate Modern in London featuring highlights from his phenomenally successful career.

The exhibition features such works as his diamond skull, titled For The Love Of God, and the infamous shark pickled in formaldehyde, also known as The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.

The retrospective, Hirst's first in the UK, opens to the public on Wednesday as part of the London 2012 Festival.        Read More