Tracey Emin is a prominent British artist known for her autobiographical and confessional artwork. Born on July 3, 1963, in Croydon, London, she grew up in Margate in the county of Kent. Emin studied fashion at Medway College of Design (now part of the University for the Creative Arts) before attending the Royal College of Art in London, where she earned a Master's degree in painting in 1989.
Tracey Emin emerged as a leading figure in the 1990s as part of the Young British Artists (YBAs), a group known for their provocative and often controversial works. She gained significant media attention with pieces such as "Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995" (1995) and "My Bed" (1998), the latter featuring her own unmade, dirty bed surrounded by objects from her personal life. "My Bed" was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1999 and became one of her most famous works.
Emin's work spans a variety of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, photography, neon text, and sewn appliqué. Her art is marked by its open exploration of personal and sexual identity, love, and suffering. Emin has held numerous solo and group exhibitions internationally and her work is held in several public and private collections. She has also been recognized with several honors, including being appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to the visual arts. In 2011, she was appointed Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, becoming one of the first female professors in its history.