In 1999, Emin’s submitted an installation piece titled My Bed for the Turner Prize. This famous piece featured Emin’s actual bed, sheets, and personal effects as she had left them after spending days wallowing in bed after a bad breakup. The artwork was praised for achieving a new standard for confessional art, and although she lost out on the prize to fellow artist Steve McQueen, the work became a media sensation and ensured her legacy in art history.

In 2011, Emin was appointed Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and in 2012 was made Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her contributions to the visual arts. She currently lives and works in London.

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