Margate artist Tracey Emin has spoken about her diagnosis of bladder cancer and her journey into remission.
Speaking to Artnet the 57-year-old said she had been working on a painting of ‘a malignant lump’ before she even knew of the tumour growing inside her.
She was diagnosed in spring and underwent an operation in the Summer which meant the removal of many of her female reproductive organs. She now also has a stoma bag but is in remission from the cancer.
Currently unable to paint the artist, known for works including My Bed which was created in 1998 and was back on show at Turner Contemporary in 2017, is now concentrating on a photographic project of her body.
Tracey has almost finished packing up her former home in London and has sold her property in Miami. She bought part of the former Thanet Press site in Margate in 2017 and has had work undertaken to convert it into an artist’s studio and one bedroom flat. The move to Margate was prompted after losing a bid to expand her art studio in Spitalfields and the death of her mum Pam.
The artist originally confirmed plans to move to the town during the opening of her My Bed exhibition at Turner Contemporary.
Talking to The Isle of Thanet News previously she said: “Margate has real energy and fantastic architecture, sunsets and seascapes and beaches. I think it has a really good chance of becoming a fantastic epicentre. London feels like it is completely crushing me.
“In Margate Turner Contemporary has boosted the whole economy and where there were boarded up shops in the High Street there are now fantastic boutiques, vintage shops and interesting restaurants.
“I do not want to wake up to London, I want to wake up and be inspired by the same things that inspired Turner.”
New artworks created by Emin during lockdown are due to go on show in Brussels at the end of this month. Emin won’t be present at the Details of Love opening due to her ongoing recovery and Covid restrictions.
