One of the most infamous artists of the generation of 'Brit Art' artists, christened YBAs, who emerged onto the London art scene in the early 1990s, Tracey Emin, best known for her 'tent' and 'bed', has gone on to become a leading figure in the British art establishment.
In August 2006, Emin was selected as Britain's representative in the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale for 2007. The first major retrospective of her work was held at the Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh in August 2008 and included ‘My Bed’ and a monumental, room-sized installation entitled ‘Exorcism of the Last Painting I Ever Made’ dating from 1996. It also featured her appliquéd blankets, paintings, sculptures, films, neon works, drawings and multiples, and travelled to the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo in Malaga and the Kunstmuseum in Bern.
Fabric, particularly in the form of appliqué, has been a constant feature of her art. For her, the material itself retains an emotional significance related to its original function and history.
In December 2011 Emin was appointed Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy; drawing has always played a major part in her practice.
