Tracey Emin trained at Maidstone College of Art and the Royal Academy of Art and quickly gained fame as a member of the Young British Artists (YBA), a group of emerging contemporary British artists in the 1980s and 1990s. The YBA were known for their conceptual approach art, use of various media, and engagement with often provocative themes.

Her first solo exhibition was held at White Cube gallery in 1993, and by 1998, she had gained international recognition and exhibited her works worldwide.

Tracey Emin uses a wide variety of media, such as tapestry, sculpture, drawing, video, installations, photography, and painting.

Her works, inspired by the events of her life, are presented in a very raw manner. These events are often powerful and traumatic, provoking a powerful emotional response in the viewer. Her experiences with intimacy, whether they are ecstatic or traumatic, are also an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Her work is often described as 'explicitly feminist' due to the subjects she addresses, such as rape, miscarriages, and other trials experienced by many women.