Frida Kahlo's legacy that continues to inspire

Frida Kahlo – tragic figure or cultural icon? Exhibition opening at Tate Modern in London examines how this Mexican artist became a global phenomenon

Instantly recognizable, Frida Kahlo gazes with her solemn expression from a self-portrait. The Mexican artist has become a global phenomenon. Last year, she set a world record as the most expensive Latin American artist to sell her work at auction. And exhibitions of her work are almost always destined to draw large crowds.

The Tate Modern museum in London not only presents her artistic rise, but also explores the many artists she influenced, both before and after her death.

Titled "Frida: The Making of an Icon," the exhibition includes more than 30 works by Kahlo, as well as many works by other artists.

"It is the first exhibition to historically and critically follow her journey and her rise to iconic status, a phenomenon that today we all know as 'Frida Mania,'" said Beatriz García-Velasco, assistant curator.

The 1926 painting is one of her first self-portraits and was dedicated to her then-boyfriend.

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Kahlo created many works that depicted herself. Some reflect her love of indigenous Mexican culture, while others express her pain, both from a serious bus accident that left her with serious injuries and from her difficult marriage to artist Diego Rivera. These recurring images of Kahlo's vision for herself are one of the reasons she is so well-known today.

“The image she created for herself, where she even emphasized her androgynous features and styled her facial hair in a way that was quite radical for the time, has become incredibly iconic,” García-Velasco explained. “It also deals with very personal themes that continue to influence and appeal to people, relating to her suffering and her turbulent relationship with Diego Rivera. I think the self-portraits open up the artist to the viewer and she almost gives you the feeling of an old friend.”

Kahlo's works have inspired artists like Marcos Raya, who created a mural in 1985 for a theater play about her life. Today, artist Paola Estrella visits the exhibition and reflects on the meaning Kahlo's legacy has for her.

"As a Mexican artist living and working in London, I feel proud to see such a comprehensive Frida exhibition here. For me, Frida's works have been an inspiration, mainly from the perspective of an artist and the way she managed to overcome many of the difficulties in her life and ultimately became independent, both emotionally and financially," Estrella said.

A costume inspired by Kahlo’s painting “The Wounded Deer” includes her face complete with deer antlers. Elsewhere in the exhibition, Rupert García’s colorful image of Kahlo conveys the spirit of pop art.

British artist Tracey Emin even dresses up as Frida, lying in bed just as the artist herself was forced to lie while recovering from the bus accident.

It is clear that Kahlo has had a lasting influence on artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, who continue to imitate her characteristic look.

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"I don't think it's a coincidence that so many people in the world are connecting with her work right now, because in a world going through a crisis, I think honest and sensitive art is something we really need. For me, it's a combination of all these elements. Of course I connect with the colors and the culture, but for me she's an icon that I've followed for a long time and I love the way she's been reinterpreted in different cultures around the world," Estrella said.

The exhibition "Frida: The Making of an Icon" opened on June 25 and will remain open until January 3, 2027.