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Monday, August 17, 2026 · No. 228
Artist Profile

Tracey Emin

Tracey Emin is a prominent English artist recognized for her deeply autobiographical and confessional approach to art. She works across a diverse range of media, including neon text, sewn appliqué, painting, and sculpture.

LondonEurope12 stories

Biography

Born in London, Tracey Emin rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s as a key figure among the Young British Artists. Her practice is defined by its raw, personal nature, often drawing directly from her own life experiences to explore themes of memory, trauma, and identity.

Emin utilizes a wide variety of materials to translate her internal narrative into physical form, ranging from intimate textile works and drawings to large-scale neon installations and bronze sculptures. Her work often challenges the boundaries between the private and the public, transforming personal history into universal visual language.

In 2026, Emin is the subject of a major career-spanning retrospective titled A Second Life, organized by Tate Modern and presented at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. This survey, which includes over 100 works, highlights her enduring influence on contemporary art and her continued evolution as a multidisciplinary artist.

Grounded in Wikipedia + view source

Notable Works

  • My Bed · 1998Installation
  • Exorcism of the Last Painting I Ever Made · 1996Installation

Career Highlights

  • 2016Elected as a Royal Academician
  • 2026Tate Modern career-spanning retrospective
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From The Cultural Signal

Fundación ARCO Presents 29th 'A' Awards for Collecting

Fundación ARCO Presents 29th 'A' Awards for Collecting

Fundación ARCO has presented the 29th “A” Awards for Collecting, recognizing five collections: the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection received the Honorary “A” Award, Fundació Sorigué the Corporate Collection award, the Juan Carlos Maldonado Collection the International Collecting award, the .

AwardArt FairContemporaryMadrid
Tate Britain to Open Major Exhibition Exploring Art and Fashion of the 1990s

Tate Britain to Open Major Exhibition Exploring Art and Fashion of the 1990s

Tate Britain will stage the first exhibition to explore the art, photography and fashion of the 1990s from October 8, 2026 to February 14, 2027.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonPhotography
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art to Host Tracey Emin Retrospective 'A Second Life' Organized by Tate Modern

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art to Host Tracey Emin Retrospective 'A Second Life' Organized by Tate Modern

Tate Modern in London is organizing the exhibition Tracey Emin: A Second Life. The show surveys nearly 40 years of the British artist's practice in painting, drawing, sculpture, textile, film and installation, including the 1998 work My Bed that was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1999.

ExhibitionContemporaryYoung British ArtistsPainting
Tate Director Maria Balshaw to Step Down in Spring 2026 After Nine-Year Tenure

Tate Director Maria Balshaw to Step Down in Spring 2026 After Nine-Year Tenure

Tate has announced that Maria Balshaw, Director since 2017, will step down in the Spring of 2026 after nine years.

AppointmentLondonContemporaryModern
Tate Modern to Host Largest Tracey Emin Survey Exhibition 'A Second Life' in 2026

Tate Modern to Host Largest Tracey Emin Survey Exhibition 'A Second Life' in 2026

Tate Modern presents the largest ever survey of Dame Tracey Emin, titled Tracey Emin: A Second Life, opening February 27, 2026, and running through August 31, 2026, in the Eyal Ofer Galleries.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonModern
Tate Modern Announces Major Tracey Emin Exhibition and London-Wide Neon Billboard Campaign

Tate Modern Announces Major Tracey Emin Exhibition and London-Wide Neon Billboard Campaign

Tracey Emin’s neon works appear on buildings and billboards at 22 locations across 11 London boroughs until 9 March. The free campaign marks the opening of her exhibition A Second Life at Tate Modern. Texts include I Whisper to My Past do I Have Another Choice and I can Feel You Everywhere.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonNew Media
Artcurial to Auction Modern and Contemporary Works Including Gauguin and Condo in Paris

Artcurial to Auction Modern and Contemporary Works Including Gauguin and Condo in Paris

Artcurial will hold a series of Modern & Contemporary Art auctions in Paris on April 16 and 17, 2026.

Auction ResultModernContemporaryImpressionist

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