Groundbreaking artist Frida Kahlo made a statement with her famous paintings and the colorful garments she wore in public.
Some of those personal items, including jewelry, clothing and prosthetics, will be on display in the U.S. for the first time at a new exhibit “Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving,” which opens Feb. 8 at the Brooklyn Museum.
The show will also include several paintings by the iconic Mexican artist such as “Self-Portrait with Necklace” (1933), “Self-Portrait with Braid” (1941), and “Self-Portrait as a Tehuana, Diego on My Mind” (1943).
After surviving a horrific car accident, Kahlo underwent several surgeries throughout her life and wore corsets and prosthetics to help manage her pain. Living with that pain and the turbulent relationship with husband Diego Rivera are themes that run through her work.
“Under-recognized in her lifetime, Kahlo has become a feminist icon over the past four decades,” Catherine Morris, Sackler Senior Curator at the Brooklyn Museum said in a statement. “The prevailing narrative that women are too often defined by their clothes, their appearance, and their beauty was powerfully co-opted by Kahlo through the empowering and intentional choices she made to craft her own identity.”
Visitors will need a separate ticket to view the timed exhibition, which runs through May 12, 2019. They go on sale starting December 3.
