Frida Kahlo is one of the most recognisable cultural figures of all time. Famous for her striking self-portraits, the Mexican artist’s legacy is being highlighted alongside that of her husband, painter and muralist of revolutionary Mexico Diego Rivera – as well as a raft of influential Mexican creatives – in a new exhibition that opens at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki today.
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Art and Life in Modern Mexico includes more than 150 works, with paintings and drawings that span Kahlo’s career, and oil paintings by Rivera. Drawing from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman collection (one of the most significant private collections of Mexican modernism), the exhibition also has works by muralists David Siqueiros and Rufino Tamayo.
Scattered throughout, there's a collection of photographs by Lola Álvarez Bravo (known as Mexico’s first female photographer, and one of its most important), Manuel Álvarez Bravo and Nickolas Muray – all of whom shot now-iconic photographs of Kahlo.
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SUBSCRIBE NOWGallery director Kirsten Lacy “couldn’t be more excited” about the prestigious collection of international art. “Frida Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera, are internationally recognised for their contributions to 20th-century art,” said she said in a statement. “Both artists, despite possessing completely different styles, became two of Mexico’s most celebrated and inspiring personalities, representing Mexican identity through their work.”
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Art and Life in Modern Mexico runs until Sunday January 22, 2023. Entry is $24.50 for adults, free for members.
This article was updated on October 14 to reflect that the exhibition is now open.
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