Brooklyn Museum
February 8–May 12, 2019
Kahlo’s recognizable style was an key to her identity. She defined herself through her ethnicity, disability, and politics, all of which were at the center of her work. Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving is the largest U.S. exhibition in 10 years devoted to the iconic painter and the first in the United States. It is also the first to display a collection of her clothing and other personal possessions, which were rediscovered and inventoried in 2004 after being locked away since Kahlo’s death, in 1954. These items are on display along with paintings, drawings, and photographs from the celebrated Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of 20th Century Mexican Art, as along with related historical film and ephemera.
Kahlo’s personal artifacts include examples of Kahlo’s Tehuana clothing, contemporary and pre-Colonial jewelry, and some of the many hand-painted corsets and prosthetics used by the artist during her lifetime. Previously stored in the Casa Azul (Blue House), the longtime Mexico City home of Kahlo and husband, Diego Rivera, these possessions were not be disclosed until 15 years after Rivera’s death. The objects show 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.
