Tracey Emin's 'I Loved My Innocence' explores her deeply personal themes through gestural figuration. Created in her hometown of Margate, this work delves into the theme of childhood while connecting to her broader artistic practice of articulating human joy and suffering.

The artwork demonstrates Emin's uninhibited energy. It employs expressive figuration that aligns with artistic influences like Käthe Kollwitz, Edvard Munch, and Egon Schiele. Through this piece, Emin continues her tradition of using her body as an emotional conduit, a practice that defines her broader oeuvre.

This work is part of Emin's recent artistic evolution. In it, she employs a freer yet more assertive form of gestural figuration. The piece maintains her commitment to autobiographical expression while expanding her visual vocabulary. Like much of her work, it transforms intimate personal experiences into universal statements about human existence, maintaining the raw emotional honesty that epitomises her artistic practice.