Oscar-nominated American filmmaker David Lynch breathed his last, his family announced on Thursday. He was 78.

A statement on Lynch's official Facebook page read, "It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.'"

The cause of his death is not yet disclosed. He disclosed in August last year that he had been diagnosed with emphysema, a lung disease caused by smoking for several years.

Born in Missoula, Montana, on January 20, 1946, Lynch first began a career in painting before he took to filmmaking. Known for employing surrealism in his films, Lynch made his debut with Eraserhead (1977) as its director, writer and producer. His films Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man and Mulholland Drive won Oscar nominations. He had co-created the pathbreaking TV series Twin Peaks. Though the series ran for just two seasons in the early 1990s, it effectively shifted the trajectory of television. With his stunning and disturbing visuals, Lynch was hailed as a master of surrealism and one of the most innovative filmmakers among his contemporaries.

Apart from the multiple nominations, he won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival for Wild at Heart in 1990. He was the recipient of the Academy Honorary Award in 2019.

His last work was Twin Peaks: The Return in 2017.

Filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard paid rich tributes to Lynch. Speilberg hailed Lynch as a "singular, visionary dreamer who directed films that felt handmade," while Howard praised him as a "gracious man and a fearless artist who followed his heart and soul."