Nickolas Muray/Provided by MFAH
“Frida with Her Pet Eagle, Coyoacán,” by Nickolas Muray, 1939.
When Frida Kahlo died in 1954, she was not the icon of Mexican art that she is today. A new exhibit premiering at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) on Monday seeks to charter Kahlo’s legacy, from a relatively unknown painter to one of the most recognizable artists in the world.
“Frida: The Making of an Icon” will feature 35 works by Kahlo as well as several works by painters, sculptors and photographers “who mined Kahlo’s paintings and personal history to claim her as their own.”
The exhibit is debuting in Houston as conceived and organized by curator Mari Carmen Ramírez, before traveling to the Tate Modern in London.
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“‘Frida: The Making of an Icon’ attempts to separate Frida Kahlo the artist from Frida Kahlo the phenomenon,” Ramírez said in a news release. “In exploring that process, the exhibition re-establishes Kahlo’s own identity, and asserts her persistent relevance to contemporary art as well as activism over the past 70 years.”
Frida Kahlo/Provided by MFAH
“Diego and I” by Frida Kahlo, 1949, oil on canvas.
Kahlo is best known for her self-portraits, which have become a commercialized entity of their own, making her one of the most recognizable artists in the world. Her marriage to Diego Rivera, another Mexican artist, and her political activism have added to her popular appeal.
An entire gallery at MFAH’s exhibition is devoted to “Fridamania,” the pop culture fanaticism and commercialization of Kahlo’s image, featuring more than 200 objects from the mass-market production of Kahlo merchandise.
“This Museum has been at the forefront of Latin American art since the founding in 2001 of the International Center for the Arts of the Americas,” Gary Tinterow, MFAH director, said in a news release. “While there have been numerous Frida Kahlo exhibitions around the world since the 1970s, Mari Carmen Ramírez has leveraged the unparalleled resources of our ICAA to document and assemble a fascinating group of objects that attest to the enduring appeal of Kahlo’s art and life.”
“Frida: The Making of an Icon” is on display at MFAH through May 17 before moving to London in June.
On Saturday, Jan. 24, MFAH will host a “Talking Frida” conversation with curators and a documentary filmmaker to discuss Kahlo’s life and legacy.