Tracey Emin Biography Dame Tracey Karima Emin DBE RA (born 3 July 1963) is an English artist celebrated for her autobiographical and confessional artworks. Emin works in a range of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, photography, neon text, and sewn appliqué. Once considered the “enfant terrible” of the Young British Artists (YBA) movement in the 1980s, she is now a Royal Academician. In 1997, her artwork Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995, a tent embroidered with the names of everyone she had ever slept with, was showcased at Charles Saatchi’s Sensation exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. The same year, Emin gained significant media attention after swearing repeatedly while drunk on a live British TV discussion show called The Death of Painting.
Tracey Emin Biography
Tracey Emin is a renowned British artist known for her provocative and autobiographical works that often delve into explicit and intimate subjects. Her art frequently draws from her own personal life, dealing with themes of sexuality, trauma, and emotional experiences. Some of her most famous and controversial works include Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995, The Last Thing I Said to You is Don’t Leave Me Here, Feeling Pregnant III, and Every Part of Me Is Bleeding.
Tracey Emin Biography Details 2025
| Born | Tracey Karima Emin 3 July 1963 (age 61) Croydon, England |
| Education | Medway College of Design (1980–82) Maidstone College of Art (1983–86) (BA Printmaking) Royal College of Art (1987–89) (MA Painting Birkbeck University of London |
| Notable work | Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 (1995) My Bed (1998) |
| Style | Readymade Installation art |
| Movement | Young British Artists |
| Category | Singers Bio |
About Tracey Emin
Dame Tracey Karima Emin DBE RA is an English artist known for autobiographical and confessional artwork. She produces work in a variety of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, photography, neon text and sewn appliqué.
- Born: 3 July 1963 (age 61 years), Croydon, United Kingdom
- Period: Young British Artists
- On view: Serpentine Gallery
- Parents: Enver Emin, Pamela Cashin
- Siblings: Paul Emin
- Education: > Medway College of Design (1980–82);
- Notable work: Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 (1995); My Bed (1998)
Who is Tracey Emin?
Tracey Emin is a celebrated British artist best known for her deeply personal and intimate works across various media, including neon text, photography, painting, sculpture, and sewn appliqué. She has earned the prestigious title of Royal Academician, solidifying her place in the art world.
Early Life, Education, and Background
Born in Croydon, South London, on July 3, 1963, Emin grew up in Margate, Kent, alongside her twin brother, Paul. She is of mixed heritage, with an English mother of Romanichal descent and a Turkish Cypriot father. Emin studied fashion at Medway College of Design (now part of the University for the Creative Arts) in the early 1980s and later pursued printmaking at Maidstone Art College (now part of the same university), graduating with honors.
Career
Emin began her artistic career in the early 1990s, initially selling handmade items at a store she co-founded. In 1993, she held her first solo exhibition, My Major Retrospective, at White Cube gallery. She then embarked on a performance art tour in the U.S. in 1994, showcasing her autobiographical work Exploration of the Soul. In 1999, Emin gained significant attention as a Turner Prize nominee with her controversial piece My Bed, a raw and revealing installation of her own unmade bed, representing personal turmoil and emotional struggles.
Her works, including My Bed, were later acquired by renowned collector Charles Saatchi. Over the years, Emin has experimented with various artistic mediums, and in 2013, she became a Royal Academician. In 2020, a selection of her work was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, in a show titled Tracey Emin/Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul, where her art was displayed alongside the works of Norwegian painter Edvard Munch.
Tracey Emin’s Husband
In 2016, Emin revealed her engagement to “Rock,” a symbolic piece of granite that she refers to as an “anchor,” representing stability and self-identity. The unusual engagement has sparked discussions about Emin’s perspective on relationships and her focus on personal growth rather than traditional romantic ideals.
Tracey Emin’s Physical Appearance
Emin stands at 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) tall and weighs approximately 52 kg. She has brown hair and eyes, and she maintains good health, known for her unique and strong presence in both her art and life.
Tracey Emin Net Worth 2025
Tracey Emin’s net worth is estimated at $15 million, reflecting her success and influence in the contemporary art world. Emin is recognized as one of the most dedicated and admired artists of her generation.