Warhol had already cemented his place in the art community early in his career, and bequeathed an international audience with an eccentric collection of some of history’s most vibrant works upon his untimely death in 1987.

His aesthetic was a unique convergence of fine art mediums such as photography and drawing with highly commercialized components revolving around household brand and celebrity names.

Garnering international attention for his unique productions, Warhol loved to maintain an element of personal and professional mystery, admitting that he never discussed his background and would invent a new persona every time he was asked.

Warhol’s artworks introduced a fascinating new form of artistic expression. In 1961, he unveiled the concept of Pop Art and showcased a collection of paintings that focused on mass-produced commercial goods.

In 1962, he exhibited his iconic paintings of Campbell’s soup cans. He went on to showcase works depicting hamburgers and Coca Cola bottles, alongside portraits of quirky celebrities such as Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe.

He employed several mediums to create his works, including photography, silk screening, and printmaking. In 1964, Warhol opened his own art studio called ‘The Factory’, where he worked and liaised with society’s elite.

The world was fascinated with Andy Warhol – his look and the attitude of his Pop Art movement.

However, the attention he garnered wasn’t always positive. On June 3, 1968, radical feminist Valerie Solanas shot Andy Warhol and Mario Amaya – a curator at Warhol’s studio.

Amaya suffered only minor injuries, but Warhol was seriously injured and nearly died.

Solanas was sentenced to three years in prison under the discipline of the New York Department of Corrections.

Warhol was quoted, “Before I was shot, I always thought that I was more half-there than all-there — I always suspected that I was watching TV instead of living life. People sometimes say that the way things happen in movies is unreal, but actually it’s the way things happen in life that’s unreal.”