There are women who, over the years, have left their marks on the world and inspired many others to consolidate their legacy and prove their ability to overcome, the face of so many prejudices. For this reason, in this women’s month, an exhibition is remaining on a living proof of all that perseverance: the immersive biography of the Mexican painter Frida Khalo.
How was her life?
Being part of a traditional family, Frida grew up amid rules that, since she was a little girl, due to her impetuosity, she did not find pleasant. She suffered reprimands from her mother, who was a very religious woman.
However, she was always ahead of her time. As a teenager, she was one of the few female students at the National Preparatory School and there she formed the group “Los Cachuchas”, literally breaking the monotony of the institution.
Due to a serious accident that she suffered in 1925, she was prevented from fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor, remaining bedridden for months. Always alone, her father, Guillermo Kahlo, who introduced her to the art world since childhood – precisely because he was part of the art world as a photographer -, to help her cheer up, set up a small “studio” in her bed, with a mirror at the top and an easel at armrest height.
Life breaking barriers
After an improvement in health, the artist joined the Mexican Communist Party in 1928, being a very participatory activist. Frida also had to impose herself in her marriage to Diego Rivera, due to her unfaithful nature. She also had other romantic relationships, with men and women – including Leon Trotsky, Stalin‘s rival in the dispute for the hegemony of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, who took refuge in Frida’s house while he was wanted by the Soviet government. In addition, it maintained a look that many considered androgynous, with the classic monofilament and a striking look for the history of fashion around the world.
She was one of the most well-known and consolidated artists during the 20th century, responsible for one of the first visions of the deconstruction of the female body through her art and, as a result, she became one of the main representations of feminism today. One of the most famous examples of this is the 1937 cover of Vogue on a visit to New York.
Frida’s painful life did not last long, ending early in 1954, at the age of 47. However, leaving her wasn’t that simple: known for being stubborn, Frida went to her last exhibition tied to the bed she was in because of her weakness. Frida painted on the casts that contoured her body to maintain stability. Her last sentence is said to have been “I hope my departure is happy, and I hope I never return”.
The exhibition
The exhibition “Frida Kahlo – A Vida de Um Ícone” shows via some immersive rooms with lights, videos, music, and even traditional costumes from the region of Mexico where the artist was born. We go through the most remarkable moments of her life, such as, for example, her inability to become a mother due to several miscarriages resulting from the accident she suffered, or the iconic phrase she said after having her leg amputated: “Feet, what do I want them for if I have wings to fly.”
It will be on display until April 30th and will take place in the parking lot of Shopping Eldorado, with different entry times starting at 45 reais and a VIP ticket starting at 170 reais, which not only entitles you to enter at any time exhibition is open, but also to giveaways. If you want to get into Frida’s life – and also take some beautiful pictures while in it – you can’t miss this opportunity!
——————————
The article above was edited by Clarissa Palácio.
Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Cásper Líbero homepage for more!