Frida Kahlo

A major proponent of the Mexican Renaissance, wife of Diego Rivera, communist, and pioneer of emancipation—the colorful life and work of Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) are inextricably interwoven, and at times staged like a play. The daughter of a German-born photographer, she was used to posing, and Kahlo began controlling the perception of her person early on. In her paintings and pain-filled self-portraits she dissected her innermost being, treading a new artistic path in the process. In portraits by friends and photographers such as Tina Modotti and Edward Weston she wears traditional clothing, turning her “Mexicanidad” into a trademark. Based on numerous paintings and photographs and with articles by acclaimed theorists such as Griselda Pollock and Mieke Bal, this book traces the stations of this unique artist’s life, while relating Kahlo’s art to that of her contemporaries, such as Diego Rivera, María Izquierdo, David Alfaro Siquieros, and José Clemente Orozco. (English edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3607-7)   Exhibition schedule: ARKEN – Museum for Modern Art, Ishøj, September 7, 2013–January 12, 2014