This Artists Series book presents a fascinating introduction to the life and work of Tracey Emin, whose frank and deeply personal work has challenged stereotypes about female experience and sexuality and, along with her uncompromising style, marks her as one of our most celebrated artists, and one of the most acclaimed of her generation.Tracey Emin (b.1963) is one of the most talked about artists in Britain today and arguably also one of the most controversial. Her diaristic works are explicit, unapologetic and raw, offering viewers unflinching explorations of how it is to live in a body and to experience passion, pain, and healing.This introduction offers a candid look into the life and work of Emin. It explores the events and relationships that influenced her art, including her formative years in Margate, her artist peers, and the expressionist painters with whom she has identified across the generations. Bringing together a wide spectrum of her work, this book reveals an artist who confronts the subject of mortality – however wondrous, difficult or shameful – and ultimately celebrates the joy of living.Hettie Judah is a writer and curator. She is a regular contributor to The Guardian, Frieze, The Times Literary Supplement, and Apollo magazine. Her recent shows include the Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood which opened at the Arnolfini in Bristol in March 2024, and Gate of Horns: Myths of Resistance, Symbols of Defiance which opened at Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate in February 2025. Her recent books include How Not To Exclude Artist Mothers (and other parents), Lapidarium: The Secret Lives of Stones and Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood.
