Tracey Emin lives in a pre-crash bubble

The prices for Damien Hirst artworks may be on the wane – at a recent sale in New York one of his spin-style paintings priced at £2m failed to attract a single bid – but fellow British artist Tracey Emin (pictured), 45, feels that she is immune to any such humiliation.

"I think I am pretty credit-crunch proof," she tells the Daily Telegraph. "I have sold more in this quarter than I ever have before."

So what's her secret? "Many artists my age have plateau-ed," she says. "But my work has still to reach its peak." Also, she adds: "The people who buy my art are not looking to make money on it."

Given her confidence, perhaps she might be able to offer jobs to some of her friend Hirst's studio assistants, half of whom he made redundant last week.