Damien Hirst, contemporary artist and leading member of the Young British Artists movement that made headlines in the 1990s, will no longer be represented by Gagosian Gallery, where he has shown his work on and off for 17 years. The news comes as a bit of a shock as earlier this year Gagosian devoted every one of his 11 galleries to Hirst’s abstract “spot” paintings.

While both art world giants claim that the split was amicable, Hirst will continue his association with London’s contemporary White Cube Gallery. It is unclear whether or not Hirst will look for additional representation in another city such as New York, where he has a large collector base.

Hirst, who is known for his excessive works of art that often include dead animals suspended in large tanks of formaldehyde and skulls engulfed in diamonds, has been regarded as the world’s wealthiest artist.