Exploring Kahlo’s creative vision

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's personal artefacts, paintings to be exhibited
The United States' largest exhibition in a decade, on iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), known across the globe extensively for her self-portraits, will kick off on March 8 at the Brooklyn Museum.

‘Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving’ explores Kahlo's creative vision and self-crafted identity through a presentation of the artist's clothing and other personal items, paintings and drawings by the artist, photographs, film and documentation as well as related objects from the museum's collection, the museum said.

The exhibition marks the first time that Kahlo's personal objects from the Blue House, in Mexico City, will be on view in the US.

Her clothing and other personal possessions were rediscovered and inventoried in 2004 after being locked away since Kahlo's death in 1954.

Kahlo's personal artefacts – which range from noteworthy examples of Kahlo's Tehuana clothing, contemporary and pre-colonial jewellery, and some of the many hand-painted corsets and prosthetics used by the artist during her lifetime – were stored in Casa Azul (Blue House), the longtime Mexico City home of Kahlo and her husband, muralist Diego Rivera.

The exhibition explores her creative vision and self-crafted identity by displaying the artist's clothing and other personal items, and paintings and drawings.

"The objects shed new light on how Kahlo crafted her appearance and shaped her personal and public identity to reflect her cultural heritage and political beliefs, while also addressing and incorporating her physical disabilities," the museum said.

The exhibition is based on exhibitions at the Frida Kahlo Museum (2012) and the V&A London (2018). It will run through till May 5.