Tracey Emin Depicts the Tumultuous Journey Toward Eternal Love in "Lovers Grave"
Explore the artist’s debut solo show at White Cube New York.
English artist Tracey Emin is about to return to New York after an eight-year hiatus, to unveil her inaugural solo exhibition, “Lovers Grave,” at White Cube’s New York gallery. The long-awaited showcase, comprised of paintings and works on paper created in her studios in London and Margate, UK, delves deep into the intensely personal, autobiographical and confessional nature of Emin’s artistry.
Emin’s artistic journey is marked by versatility, spanning an array of mediums, including drawing, painting, film, photography, sculpture, neon and writing. Her ever-evolving exploration of life’s intricacies is a hallmark of her work. In “Lovers Grave,” she draws inspiration from archaeological burial sites where human remains forever entwine in the embrace of death. This theme emphasizes the idea of love transcending the boundaries of mortality, akin to the concept of resurrection, much “like a phoenix rising from the ashes.”
One of the exhibition’s standout pieces, “The Beggining and The end of Everything” (2023), features a female figure within a nebulous form, symbolizing life, death and transformation. The motif of Death and the Maiden is a recurring theme in Emin’s art, as exemplified in “Is Nothing Sacred” (2023), where a supine figure confronts a dark presence, symbolizing an out-of-body experience.
Themes of passionate intimacy emerge prominently in “There was no Right way” (2022), where bodily forms merge into abstraction. Besides, Emin continues to weave personal elements into her work, evident in details such as Nefertiti’s bust in “Another World” (2023) and the Margate town outline in “I went home” (2023), establishing a deep connection between her art and her life and surroundings.
Tracey Emin’s “Lovers Grave” solo exhibition will be on view at the White Cube New York from November 4 until January 13, 2024.
In other art and design news, Anna Uddenberg’s “HOME WRECKERS” explores the tainted link between femininity and domesticity.
White Cube New York
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