Rose Wylie, Tracey Emin, and Sue Webster mount major UK exhibitions celebrating painting and defiance
Three distinguished British artists—Rose Wylie, Tracey Emin, and Sue Webster—are showcasing important exhibitions throughout the UK, pushing the boundaries of traditional painting. At the age of 92, Wylie becomes the first female painter to display her work in the Royal Academy's main galleries with 'The Picture Comes First,' which will be available until 19 April and includes large oil paintings from 1989 to contemporary pieces. Emin's exhibition, 'A Second Life,' at Tate Modern, runs until 31 August and reflects on her experiences after battling bladder cancer, featuring recent paintings and bronzes alongside earlier creations. Meanwhile, Webster's 'Birth of an Icon' at Firstsite in Colchester, her first solo exhibition since working with Tim Noble, is on display until 10 May, showcasing self-portraits inspired by her pregnancy.
Key facts
- Rose Wylie is 92 years old and the first female painter to occupy the main galleries of the Royal Academy in its 258-year history.
- Wylie's exhibition 'The Picture Comes First' runs until 19 April at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
- Tracey Emin's survey 'A Second Life' at Tate Modern explores themes like abortion and runs until 31 August.
- Emin's show reflects her life before and after aggressive bladder cancer five years ago.
- Sue Webster's exhibition 'Birth of an Icon' at Firstsite in Colchester is her first solo institutional show since ending collaboration with Tim Noble in the 2010s.
- Webster started painting when pregnant in her 50s, creating self-portraits in oils for the exhibition, which runs until 10 May.
- Wylie's paintings blend subjects from ancient Babylonian sculpture to Quentin Tarantino movies.
- Emin describes her paintings as autonomous entities that 'work on me' and compares painting to 'having sex with someone new that you really love.'
Entities
Artists
- Rose Wylie
- Tracey Emin
- Sue Webster
- Tim Noble
- Francis Bacon
- Marie Kondo
- Quentin Tarantino
- Siouxsie Sioux
Institutions
- Royal Academy
- Royal Academy of Arts
- Royal College of Art
- Tate Modern
- Firstsite
- David Zwirner
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Kent
- Colchester
- Paris
- France