Dame Tracey Emin, the renowned British artist, disclosed on Tuesday that she is recuperating from eye surgery following a prolonged period of partial blindness. The 62-year-old took to Instagram with an emotional update, initially showing her eye bandaged after the operation and later wearing a patch as she continues to heal.
Emotional Revelation
Emin admitted feeling overwhelmed by her vision struggles, but now, after seeing the world in sepia tones for months, she can perceive the 'brightest whites' and eagerly anticipates viewing her own artwork. She wrote: 'I haven't posted for a long time. Months in fact. Not because my life isn't interesting but because my life at times is overwhelming. It feels too much for me, so I imagine it's too much for anybody.'
She continued: 'There are lots of things I want to say and write about, my show at Tate Modern, my show that opened in Rome last week, Tate Lates where Margate shone, moments of pride popping in and out all over my life. My amazing holiday, my insane love for Teacup and Pancake, my work, beautiful Margate sunsets, the shows I've curated, my new haircut. This list is endless.'
Eye Surgery Details
'But the biggest event is my eye surgery. I've been walking around more or less half blind for well over a year. My right eye was so bad that everything was a sepia tone blur. Muddy dirty nicotine colours have now become brilliant whites,' she revealed. 'Today I'm having my left eye done. A new lens put in. No more astigmatism, no more yellow glow, no more fuzzy sight. I will be able to see clearly for the first time in my life. The first thing I want to do is go to Tate Modern and look at my work!'
Support from Fans and Friends
Followers and celebrity friends swiftly expressed their support. Comedian Jade Adams quipped, 'That eye patch is pretty chic,' while Hollywood actress Debi Mazar commented in Spanish: 'Forza!' meaning 'Force.'
Previous Health Battles
Emin previously underwent major surgery in 2020 after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer during lockdown. Surgeons removed her bladder, urethra, lymph nodes, and parts of her intestine and vagina to prevent the tumour from spreading. She was fitted with a stoma pouch to divert urine into a urostomy bag.
She has been candid about adapting to life post-surgery, frequently sharing health updates on social media. In an earlier Instagram post, she wrote: 'This is my stoma. Most people have never seen one. It's something I'm supposed to hide forever. It's part of my intestine attached to the outside of my body. Without it being there and functioning correctly, I will die. [It's] live flesh. Fragile and delicate. Surrounded by scar tissue and swollen puffy fatty flesh. I have almost total muscle wastage in my core abdomen, stomach. My body will never be the same. To be honest I find wearing the bag quite depressing. Nothing cool about carrying a bag of p*** around with you. But it's life.. my life now. Many disabilities can not be seen. But I thought I'd show you mine.'
