Storytelling is an art. As a consummate storyteller, notorious British modern day “Expressionist” Tracey Emin speaks to audiences with her candid exploration of emotions.

Her striking brushstrokes on canvases and thought-provoking personal bed installations have vividly documented the artists’ past experiences and heartfelt emotions, allowing Emin to establish an intimacy with the viewer.

The 52-year-old Turner Prize winner’s life is far from ordinary. As the love child of two people separately married to others, Emin is also a tragic victim of an unreported rape who underwent an abortion and a subsequent miscarriage later in her life.

"Day Dreaming 01 hr" 

From March 21 to May 21 this year, the artist will stage a solo exhibition in city named as “I Cried Because I Love You”. This showcase will see her pensive expression of her pain stemming from loneliness, sexual desire and the acrimony of separation.

Instead of a graphic display of her own bed with used condoms and empty alcohol bottles (as seen in My Bed, 1998), there will be a collection of traditional sketches of female nude that may be self-portraits, an exquisite embroidered work and a selection of some of her notable pieces made with neon lights and bronze on display.

"Tracey Emin I love you" (2015)

To pay tribute to the former wild child of the British art scene, we listed four reasons that make this controversial and outspoken art creator one-of-a-kind.

Stay tuned as we present our exclusive cover story with Tracey Emin in our upcoming March 2016 issue.  

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Personal art pieces

“Everyone I have Ever Slept with 1963-1995” (1995) 

Nothing pulls the artist and the audience closer than the embodiment of personal experience or messages in art pieces. From the names of her ex-lovers shown in her 1995 piece titled “Everyone I have Ever Slept with 1963-1995” to her embarrassing depravation displayed in “My Bed” (1998), her confessional art has inspired many to confront and express their own vulnerable and dark experiences.

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Neon light installations

"My Heart is with You Always" (2014)

With inspirations drawn from her childhood memories of the lights in her hometown of Margate, her neon light installations usually spell out heartfelt messages. Featuring Emin’s signature handwritten style, these simple yet striking creations communicate with audience with a personal touch. 

While her highly acclaimed “I Promise to Love You” (2013) lit up the billboards of New York’s Times Square, she hung a heart-shaped neon sign (My Heart is with You Always) on the front of The Peninsula Hotel during her visit in Hong Kong in 2014.

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Jewellery collection 

Highlights from the “I Promise To Love You” jewellery collection

In case you haven’t noticed, wearable art has been on the radar of fashion-conscious art lovers in recent years. Emin joined hands with long-term friend jeweler Stephen Webster to debut “I Promise To Love You”, these 18k gold pieces reflect the artist’s mischievous charm and playful spirit by referencing her most iconic works.

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Her honest and outspoken character

 

“My Bed” (1998)

“I live my life on the outside and some people find that hard to digest. It comes with being an outspoken woman who loves life,” says Emin.

Despite being ridiculed for her confessional and provocative art, Emin is someone who has always lived by her own rules and don’t apologise for being who she is.

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I Cried Because I Love You

Date: March 21 – May 21 2016 
Venue: Lehmann Maupin Gallery, 407 Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central / White Cube, 50 Connaught Road, Central