Tracey Emin ‘overwhelmed’ by reaction to largest-ever retrospective of her work

Art
26 Feb 2026 • 8:38 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Dame Tracey Emin has said she is “overwhelmed” by the response to the largest-ever retrospective of her art, which is going on display at London’s Tate Modern gallery from Friday, 27 February.

The exhibition, called Second Life, looks back at one of Britain’s most celebrated artists across her 40-year career.

It brings together more than 100 works encompassing painting, video, textile, neon, sculpture, and installation, and will look at how Dame Tracey has used the “female body as a powerful tool to explore passion, pain, and healing”.

Speaking ahead of the exhibition’s launch, Dame Tracey said: I'm quite overwhelmed by it all, simply because it is like a second life for me. I never in a million years imagined the reality of this situation.

“Especially five years ago, when I was diagnosed with... a cancer that couldn't be cured, it could only be cut away. I really do believe that the cancer that was cut away was a lot of bad that was inside me. My life is so much better now, and that's why I'm having a second life.”

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