Frida Kahlo: Painting, Politics and Patriotism

The Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) is regarded, as one of the great artists of the 20th century. This Special Interest Day will look at her life, work and times. The daughter of a German photographer and a Mexican mother, she survived polio at the age of six and a devastating road accident at the age of eighteen. Her injuries would lead, after many surgical interventions, to her death at the age of forty-seven. However, Kahlo lived the intervening years to the full. In haunting self-portraits, she explored her dreams, fears and desires.

Kahlo and her circle were inspired by pre-Columbian art, contemporary indigenous cultures, and the ideals of the Mexican Revolution. An explosion of creativity had followed the 1910 Revolution, as intellectuals, artists and photographers rejected European values and espoused mexicanidad. In 1929, Kahlo married the celebrated Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. United by their passion for their country, they shared the socialist ideals of the Mexican Revolution.

Importantly, Frida Kahlo celebrated her vibrant Mexican heritage in her paintings and her life. A keen collector of Mexican folk art, Kahlo was often flamboyantly dressed in Mexican garments. As Chloë Sayer will show, Kahlo used clothing and jewellery to express her pride in her cultural heritage. She also had a deep affection for popular festive traditions including the Day of the Dead.

While Frida was alive, she sold very few paintings. Today, however, she has cult status. Her 'look' inspires countless fashion designers. The Blue House, where she lived and died in Mexico City, attracts over 25,000 visitors each month. Feminists admire her for her independence of spirit, by the LGBTQ community for her non-conformity, and by the disabled for her courage in the face of adversity. The term ‘Fridamania’ is often used to describe the intense level of admiration that she now attracts.

This Study Day is timed to coincide with a major exhibition at Tate Modern: ‘Frida: The Making of an Icon’ (25 June 2025 – 3 Jan 2027). In addition to her paintings, it will feature photographs and memorabilia from her archives; also work by her contemporaries and by artists she inspired from later generations

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Host or Publisher Shahida Osman