Tracey Emin is considered one of the most important artists of her generation and also one of the most radical, challenging conventional notions of art. In her diverse oeuvre, which includes painting, video art, textile art, sculpture, installation, and neon signage, she repeatedly addresses the themes of trauma, suffering, pain, love, and misogyny, drawing on personal experiences. The directness with which she addresses these themes has regularly caused a stir and heated discussions. The Tate Modern is now dedicating its largest solo exhibition to date to the artist: from works from her first solo show, My Major Retrospective 1982-93 at White Cube, to world-famous works such as My Bed (1998), for which Emin was nominated for the Turner Prize, to lesser-known works that have never been part of an exhibition before. Tracey Emin will present over 90 works by the artist in London from February 27 to August 31.
The highlight of the exhibition is the presentation of Emin's paintings: in her large-format paintings, she does not ignore pain and suffering, but focuses on her firm determination to live in the here and now. In her latest bronze sculptures, she also processes recent life experiences such as her bladder cancer diagnosis in 2020. The Tate exhibition features a documentary that provides insights into Emin's struggle with the disease and her attempt to accept her changed body with a stoma.
In 2007, the Royal Academy of Arts in London appointed Emin as a member, and she received a Doctor of Philosophy degree from London Metropolitan University and a doctorate from the University of Kent. In the same year, she designed the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. In 2011, the Royal Academy of Arts appointed her Professor of Drawing. She is only the second female professor since the academy was founded in 1768.
