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My Heart Is This: Tracey Emin on Painting
Tracey Emin talks what it is, why she does it, and why it matters.
Known for her raw and irreverent artwork, Tracey Emin is one of the most widely admired artists working today. In a vivid and intimate portrait of her life and work, in her own words through conversation with author and art critic Martin Gayford, Tracey Emin reflects on painting―how she approaches it, why it matters to her, and how it connects to her life―and how everything has changed since her cancer diagnosis four years ago.
Richly illustrated with photographs of the artist and her work, this book is a beautifully captured record of Tracey Emin about her inspirations, her working environment, and her relationship with other artists from the past and present.
"Drawing is an extension of the soul. You have a vision in your mind, then it comes through your hand, out onto the paper, and back into your mind again. It’s a very good therapeutic exercise. It’s quite cleansing. There’s alchemy involved."
Offering a uniquely personal insight into the artist’s extraordinary life and career, Emin expresses herself in her characteristically frank confessional style that is so familiar to anyone who has seen her paintings. This is Tracey Emin on her own on learning to paint, how to live her life after cancer, and relearning why painting matters above everything else.
153 color illustrations
Known for her raw and irreverent artwork, Tracey Emin is one of the most widely admired artists working today. In a vivid and intimate portrait of her life and work, in her own words through conversation with author and art critic Martin Gayford, Tracey Emin reflects on painting―how she approaches it, why it matters to her, and how it connects to her life―and how everything has changed since her cancer diagnosis four years ago.
Richly illustrated with photographs of the artist and her work, this book is a beautifully captured record of Tracey Emin about her inspirations, her working environment, and her relationship with other artists from the past and present.
"Drawing is an extension of the soul. You have a vision in your mind, then it comes through your hand, out onto the paper, and back into your mind again. It’s a very good therapeutic exercise. It’s quite cleansing. There’s alchemy involved."
Offering a uniquely personal insight into the artist’s extraordinary life and career, Emin expresses herself in her characteristically frank confessional style that is so familiar to anyone who has seen her paintings. This is Tracey Emin on her own on learning to paint, how to live her life after cancer, and relearning why painting matters above everything else.
153 color illustrations
- GenresArt
256 pages, Hardcover
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Martin Gayford
59 books154 followersMartin Gayford is an art critic and art historian. He studied philosophy at the University of Cambridge, and art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London. Over three decades, he has written prolifically about art and music in a series of major biographies, as well as contributing regularly to newspapers, magazines and exhibition catalogues. In parallel with his career as an art historian, he was art critic of The Spectator magazine and The Sunday Telegraph newspaper before becoming Chief Art Critic for the international television network, Bloomberg News. He has been a regular contributor to the British journal of art criticism, Modern Painters.
His books include a study of Van Gogh and Gauguin in Arles, The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles (Little Brown, 2006), which was published in Britain and the USA to critical acclaim, and has been translated, to date, into five languages; Constable in Love: Love, Landscape, Money and the Making of a Great Painter (Penguin, 2009), a study of John Constable’s romance with Maria Bicknell and their lives between 1809 and 1816; and A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney (Thames and Hudson, 2011).
His books include a study of Van Gogh and Gauguin in Arles, The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles (Little Brown, 2006), which was published in Britain and the USA to critical acclaim, and has been translated, to date, into five languages; Constable in Love: Love, Landscape, Money and the Making of a Great Painter (Penguin, 2009), a study of John Constable’s romance with Maria Bicknell and their lives between 1809 and 1816; and A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney (Thames and Hudson, 2011).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy
Smooth, fast read, nicely published, solid illustrations. Based mostly on conversations had after Gayford wrote 'How Painting Happens' - which I have yet to read.
As for the content, the focus is squarely on Emin's intuitive way of working, but I wonder if I learned that much about her ideas on art. Following her Instagram, and watching some of her interviews on YouTube does the trick as well.
Admittedly, there's a fair bit of biographical trivia, and the book does have a broad scope, including quite a few pictures of her very early work, linking Emin to Munch and Schiele amongst others. The book also neatly recounts her difficult early relationship to painting, and does tell the story how she managed to pick up the brush again, and become the painting powerhouse she is at the moment.
Even though it doesn't really lack content, it does feel a bit light. If you'd had to choose, do buy Phaidon's 2024 publication "Paintings" instead. Emin's work speaks for itself. She is an absolutely brilliant painter - somewhat of a crossing between Cy Twombly and Rembrandt as a draughtsman.
One day I will read "Strangeland" too - curious if that will offer more depth.
More review on Weighing A Pig Doesn't Fatten It
As for the content, the focus is squarely on Emin's intuitive way of working, but I wonder if I learned that much about her ideas on art. Following her Instagram, and watching some of her interviews on YouTube does the trick as well.
Admittedly, there's a fair bit of biographical trivia, and the book does have a broad scope, including quite a few pictures of her very early work, linking Emin to Munch and Schiele amongst others. The book also neatly recounts her difficult early relationship to painting, and does tell the story how she managed to pick up the brush again, and become the painting powerhouse she is at the moment.
Even though it doesn't really lack content, it does feel a bit light. If you'd had to choose, do buy Phaidon's 2024 publication "Paintings" instead. Emin's work speaks for itself. She is an absolutely brilliant painter - somewhat of a crossing between Cy Twombly and Rembrandt as a draughtsman.
One day I will read "Strangeland" too - curious if that will offer more depth.
More review on Weighing A Pig Doesn't Fatten It
March 22, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Potentially more than I enjoyed the actual exhibition. But that’s probably because of how BUSY the exhibition was in a way that made me feel overwhelmed.
March 23, 2026
I think that this book is successful as it allows the reader to understand the artist and how she works. Tracey Emin has a particular style and way of creating that may at first not be clear when looking at her work. Having seen her current exhibition at the Tate Modern I now understand her work. TE has been a main stay of British art all her adult life and this conversation with Gayford allows her an opportunity discuss her life and art in a safe environment.
March 28, 2026
Loved every minute of this. Martin Gayford can write a book with an artist ❤️
Review of advance copy
Information on Good Reads is incorrect : the book is published and available to buy. It’s a beautiful book . Written in the format of an extended conversation between the author and the artist, it has over 150 illustrations of Tracey Emin’s work and particular work of the various artists who have inspired her. It allows the artist to explain how she ‘returned’ to painting after moving away from it at one point in her career. The book gives a great insight into her creative process and how that’s had to change following her diagnosis and recovery from cancer.
May 3, 2026
Martin Gayford strikes again. This is my second - Spring Cannot be Cancelled was my favourite read of 2025 and I loved this one on Tracy Emin. Finished it and immediately ordered two more of his books, and nearly bought a set of huge canvasses.
June 21, 2026
Essential reading
Being alive at the same time as Tracy Emin blows my mind.
Being alive at the same time as Tracy Emin blows my mind.
July 24, 2026
So inspiring! Tracey Emin offers a lot of insight into her work and painting as a medium.
August 4, 2026
The Tate Modern’s Tracey Emin exhibit is a must if you enjoyed this book as much as I did.
Review of advance copy
I think I could read this a couple more times, so many parts I want to return to, particularly about individual mark and drawing weird. I did feel as if I wanted something more from it but I don’t know what. I’ll know when I’m back painting
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews