An icon of the contemporary art scene, she is revered worldwide for her raw and honest, unfiltered gaze.

“When I was younger, I confused loneliness with isolation. Loneliness is not isolation. Loneliness is strength. There’s a huge difference between being stuck on the ridge of a mountain with nowhere to go, and reaching the summit, and once you’re there, looking down and feeling a sense of achievement. It’s a huge difference.”
— Tracey Emin

On the occasion of the exhibition Tracey Emin. Sex and Solitude, organized by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and open to the public from March 16 to July 20, 2025, Marsilio Arte is publishing the exhibition catalogue of the same name, curated by Arturo Galansino, Director of Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi.

Tracey Emin is a contemporary British artist known for works deeply rooted in the feminist tradition, with an uncompromising and unapologetic approach to themes such as desire, the body, and solitude. Her art delves into complex personal states through openly expressionist styles and techniques: vulnerability, rawness, and physicality are key words in her artistic world, where tenderness and love are interwoven with pain and sacrifice.

The catalogue includes three substantial essays: the first, Sex and Solitude, written by curator Arturo Galansino, explores Emin’s personal and professional journey. As Emin states, “Even if you’re with someone, you’re still alone […] I believe that to be an artist, you need more solitude to create, and as the years go by, I crave solitude more than ever.” The second essay is a dialogue between the curator and the artist, offering an intimate and wide-ranging portrait of Emin as they discuss sexuality, religion, and literature. The final essay, The Rebirth of Tracey Emin, written by Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the British Museum in London, is a tribute to the artist’s multifaceted practice and her “commitment to honesty,” which Cullinan defines as “a monument to truth.”

The catalogue features images of the works on display, divided into eleven sections: both historical and recent pieces from public and private collections around the world, reflecting the controversial and piercing aesthetic of one of the most influential artists in shaping the image of women and the relationship between body and existence in contemporary art over the past thirty years.

The volume concludes with a richly illustrated biography of Tracey Emin and a complete list of the works featured in the exhibition.