My Favourite Little Bird

Emin is renowned for her versatility, with her production encompassing installation art, paintings, drawing, video and, since the early 2000s, neon. Her neon works are some the most sought-after pieces among the general public due to their captivating emotional intensity, establishing why Emin has translated some of her most famous neons into print form. Writing tends to dominate Emin's neon works, with pieces like The Kiss Was Beautiful representing a hot catch in any collector’s viewfinder. However, My Favourite Little Bird showcases Emin’s versatility with the medium by presenting a highly intricate visual depiction of one of Emin’s preferred iconographies - the blue bird resting on a leafed branch. Emin’s fascination with birds is well attested and is exemplified in her Birds series. For the artist, the animal embodies fragility and vulnerability, which are the same qualities attributed to Emin’s art and that enable the artist to captivate her audience. Additionally, the artist takes the bird to be emblematic of freedom, claiming that “I’ve always had the idea that birds are the angels of this earth and that they represent freedom. […] like a bird, I thought I was free.”

My Favourite Little Bird conveys fragility and wishful thinking visiually rather than via words. The popularity of this work is attested through its rich exhibition history. It was first presented as part of a duo of neons, entitled Our Angels, displayed by Emin for the British Pavillion of the Venice Biennale in 2007. Later on, the work was used again on the facade of the London Foundling Museum, which bears witness to the former British orphanage. In this case, the bird is turned by the artist into a symbol of courage and hope, as well as a tribute to the many children who found their homes in the London institution.