Embodying Frida
Vibrant illustrations help tell Kahlo’s personal story
When so much has been written about the iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, one of the best-known Latin American visual artists in the world from the 20th century, why keep doing it?
That’s a question that María Hesse asked herself in the introduction of her book, “Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life.” The Spanish version, published last year, received much acclaim, and now the University of Texas Press brings it to English-speaking readers.
One never ceases to find revealing glimpses of Frida’s fascinating life and work, Hesse proposes; the artist told many stories and details about herself, about real events and imagined ones, in her diaries and conversations. Trapped in a malformed body from birth, Frida endured near-deadly accidents. She also considered her turbulent marriage to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera an accident. But Kahlo filled her life with passionate lovers, political activism and profuse creativity as well. Her life was a constant up and down between pain and joy, weakness and strength. Hesse’s book is a vibrantly illustrated biography of Kahlo that the author chose to tell in first person, embodying the painter with her own innovative style, her drawings and graphics flowing seamlessly with the narration.
Hesse, 33, is considered one of the leading illustrators and graphic designers in the world of Spanish publications. She has illustrated books such as “Bowie: Una biografía,” about David Bowie, and “Orgullo y Prejuicio,” a Spanish version of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” among others. Her work transcends the publishing world to art galleries; most recently she was one of the artists participating in the “Las Meninas” art project, in which 80 sculptures flooded the streets of Madrid interpret- ing versions of Spanish Golden Age painter Diego Velázquez’s masterpiece.
The author created the book with an adult audience in mind, although it has a halo that evokes Saint Exupery’s “The Little Prince,” where adulthood fuses with childlike innocence.
How is it that Hesse, a Spanish author who has never visited Mexico, decided to put her brush and pen in Frida’s life? She answers in this Q&A.
Q: How did you come up with the idea to create this book?
A: I really liked Frida Kahlo, but I had never thought about making a book about her. I had a meeting with Lumen, my publisher in Spain, to show them my portfolio, where I happened to have a drawing of Frida. That’s when the idea of making the biography came up. I decided to do a lot of research. I bought books that were not published in Spain, and I even showed my first draft to (Mexican author) Martha Zamora, who has written two beautiful books about Frida.
Then there was a moment where I realized I needed to narrate the book in the first person because I thought it was the best way to reflect her feelings. She painted her emotions in her canvases, and this is what I wanted to highlight.
Q: Why Frida? Do you feel a connection with her?
A: It’s an inexplicable connection. I think what I like most about Frida is the honesty of her artwork because she always did it for herself — not to sell paintings. This allowed her to paint what she really wanted, without any imposition.
I am also fascinated by her character, her way of being. There are visual artists who have done more important things when it comes to vindicating women in the art world, but I think Frida had a special magnetism. So yes, perhaps there are things in which, somehow, I find similarities and connections with her.
Q: What has this project meant for you, combining writing with your illustrations?
A: It’s been a very important project in every sense for me. I do not consider myself a writer, so I wrote the text with much respect for the profession. It was imperative for me to do a lot of research, and I had to review my work many times. But it’s wonderful to make a book that is entirely yours.
Q: You have a distinctive illustration style in your books. How would you describe it?
A: I would rather let other people talk about my style. At the beginning of my career, I had many inspirations. Enki Bilal (a French comic artist and filmaker born in former Yugoslavia), Rebecca Dautremer (a French illustrator), Egon Schiele (Austrian painter from the 20th century) ... But little by little, you begin to detach from them. You find a space where you feel comfortable; you feel like yourself. This comes with a lot of hard work; it reveals itself.
Q: What would you like to say to your potential readers in the U.S.?
A: I would tell them that this book was made with much love, where they will find an intimate Frida. They will discover that there were more things besides the pain in her life. It’s a book full of illustrations that help readers completely immerse themselves into the universe of Frida.
Q: What’s next for Maria Hesse?
A: I am working on a personal project now that isn’t a biography. I have never visited the United States, but it’s something I have always wanted to do. (In the meantime) I am going to Mexico for the first time in September, and it makes me feel very excited because, after Frida’s book, an essential connection was created.