A Feminist Icon
The legendary female artist’s personal belongings are displayed outside Mexico for the first time. The exhibition’s co- curator, Circe Henestrosa, shares her thoughts with Claudia Bermudez-Hyun
Everywhere we look these days, there she is: bold, beautiful, unique. Her art has become almost ubiquitous. For the first time since her death in 1954, her personal belongings are being displayed away from her native Mexico where they had been kept for the last 50 years. The exhibition, an intimate account of one of the most influential female artists of the 20th century, is a journey through her childhood, marriage, and family life. Co-curated by Circe Henestrosa, Frida Kahlo:
Making Herself Up opened its doors at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) last 16 June, breaking record online sales in the first two weeks. Henestrosa, herself a Mexican national with family links to the artist, is presently the Head of the School of Fashion at LASALLE College of Arts in Singapore, holding an MA in Fashion Curation from London College of Fashion and currently working on a PhD in Fashion and Disability. How did the idea of putting together this exhibition come about?
When the idea for this exhibition first came about in 2012. The idea was to start with her early childhood, move to the Blue House, explain her accident and how she managed her life-long injuries, and end with her wardrobe, showing how she transcended pain to become one of the most celebrated women in Mexico. An autodidactic artist in a male dominated field, handicapped, classic homeliness with features contrary to the standards of beauty of the time, yet the power of her art has transcended all of these. How can you explain that she has become so much more famous than her husband?
This is a very interesting question, as her work, was little known in her own lifetime and even beyond. From her death in 1954 until the early 1980s, she was mainly known as Rivera’s wife and her art was practically unknown outside Mexico. During her lifetime Frida had only two solo exhibitions; one in New York (1938)
and one in Mexico (1953). It was not until two decades after Kahlo’s death that the first publications about her life would be published; Vida de Frida Kahlo by Teresa del Conde (1976) and Raquel Tibol’s Frida Kahlo: Cronica, Testimonios y Aproximaciones (1977) but it was with the publication of Hayden Herrera’s book Frida a Biography of Frida Kahlo in 1983 that she shot to prominence.
The rise of feminism in the second half of the 20th Century contributed to Frida’s fame, as feminists took Kahlo as an example for sexual politics and postcolonial debates.
Today Kahlo’s image endures because she was able to break a lot of taboos about women’s experiences, about the challenges to overcome illness and physical injury, both exposing them and working through this trauma in creative ways. This resilience, her fighting attitude and determination to enjoy life despite the difficulties she encountered make her a powerful symbol as she continues to speak to many different groups. Salma Hayek was a special guest at the opening. Both of you have studied Frida’s life in depth for different reasons. It must have been a very interesting encounter.
Yes, having Salma Hayek at the opening of the exhibition was truly special. I wanted to have a Mexican woman opening such an important Mexican exhibition. This is the first time ever that Kahlo’s personal belongings have left the Blue House [now the Frida Kahlo Museum] in Mexico City, so it was a big deal. I decided to invite her. She even wore the Tehuana attire for the opening of the exhibition. So she decided to represent herself as Frida, which was very interesting. Are you bringing the exhibition to other cities?
At the moment there are no plans to take the exhibition overseas. We are very grateful though, as we received requests from many cities in the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia to take the show abroad. If Frida could give a message to the world today what do you think it would be?
In her own words: “At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”
Frida Kahlo: Making Herself Up is on display at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum until 4 November. The exhibition is sponsored by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland.