Staff Writers Isabella Steiner and Alfie Ray explore how Tate Modern’s Frida: The Making of An Icon explores the relationship between Frida Kahlo’s life, art and the making of her cultural legacy.
On 25 June, the Tate Modern, located neatly opposite St Paul’s on London’s South Bank, opened its exhibition Frida: The Making of An Icon. Developed in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Art in Houston, this exhibition aims to explore the tumultuous life of artist, activist and posthumous icon Frida Kahlo. Utilising over 30 of Kahlo’s original works, as well as 200 other artefacts and creations, Frida: The Making of An Icon documents the evolution of Kahlo’s art from self-portraits to surrealism and, later in life, photography.
Whilst Kahlo spent much of her life overshadowed by her husband Diego Rivera’s illustrious creative career, since her death in 1954 she has become widely recognised by feminist, LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities as a symbol of empowerment.
Mari Carmen Ramírez, the exhibition’s creative curator, labelled her as “the most influential female artist of all time.”
However, the popularisation of Kahlo in the late twentieth century also inevitably led to the commodification of herself as an icon as well as of her creative work – a phenomenon aptly named ‘Fridamania’. Whilst some blame Hayden Herrera’s 1993 biography Frida for this, it could just as easily be argued that Julia Taymor’s 2002 film adaptation of said biography, starring Salma Hayek, played an equal role in the commodification of Kahlo.
Regardless, as so perfectly put by Ramírez, Kahlo is so much more than a market figure, “she’s a cultural phenomenon.” Thus, rather than attempting to separate Frida the icon from Frida the artist, Frida: The Making of An Icon shows how the two are deeply intertwined. Through its distinct and diverse display of artworks, ranging from sketches to fashion pieces and oil paintings, the exhibition examines not just the making of her identity but that of her artistic legacy.
A Walk Through the Exhibition—What Does It Entail?
The exhibition begins with a room titled ‘Construction/ Self-Construction,’ offering a brief introduction on Frida’s most distinctive feature: her multi-layered sense of self. It displays art that explores her relationship to her accident in 1925 where she broke her spine, pelvis and collarbone.
Through the display of her health-related issues and trauma in the early stages of the exhibition, the Tate’s approach already shows that it is willing to engage with Frida’s physical and mental traumas that shaped her artistic expression.
The second room displays not only photographs but also the famous body cast sculpture titled ‘Hammer and Sickle’ which explores the connection between her miscarriages, transport-related accidents and Marxist political views.
The room also includes pieces of clothing which are typical of the region of Tijuana, Mexico, which Kahlo is often most associated with, especially when in the fashion world. Four of the dresses present with gathered ruffles at the end and bright colours, resembling Kahlo’s own style which often included fringed shawls and long skirts.
However, in the second room as well as in the exhibition as a whole, it wasn’t only Kahlo’s works which were displayed. The curator, Mari Carmen Ramírez, ensured that her creative work did not stand alone but rather alongside five other generations of artists who were inspired by her and inspired her simultaneously.
Among them was a self-portrait from Mexican artist Manuel Rodríguez Lozano who had strongly influenced Kahlo. His melancholic depiction of Mexican landscapes as well as his shift from politically focused Mexican art to art centred on emotionality served as inspiration for Kahlo’s early works.
Other sections of the exhibition include a room dedicated to her surrealist influences which explores her versatility as an artist. It includes paintings from Kahlo and other artists in the movement that have shared interests such as ‘death’, ‘dreams’ and ‘masks.’ Apart from displaying some of her still life art, the room briefly introduces the relationship between André Breton, the leader of the surrealist movement, and Kahlo’s ‘surrealistic affinities.’
It also includes work from contemporary, lesser-known artists. In Room 5 titled ‘On the other side of the border’ which explores Frida’s left-wing politics, there is an altar by Mexican illustrator Carmen Lomas Garza which she began in 1978 for her own exhibition.
At the very end, in Room 10, the exhibition displays over 200 items that include Frida’s image. Ranging from T-shirts to mugs, dolls and tote bags, the display of all of these items explores Kahlo’s rise to pop icon status, which emerged toward the 1980s.
Through this blend of works that both inspire and have been inspired by Kahlo, the Tate explores how creative careers are often elevated beyond one’s own identity. By placing artists connected to Kahlo alongside one another, the exhibition highlights that, whilst Kahlo is not defined by the influence of Fridamania, its impact cannot be ignored. Her work has undoubtedly shaped our culture.
Critique or Capitalisation?
The inclusion of certain rooms in the exhibition which display Frida’s politics and her creative mind beyond her image, ensures that the exhibition is not purely furthering the commodification of the artist. Including a room that places her surrealist work alongside her contemporaries is a clever choice that presents Frida as an artist to those who knew her only as a symbol.
However, the exhibition certainly does not refrain from displaying Frida as an image. The exhibition acknowledges that Frida is one of the most photographed artists and in that acknowledgement, also displays pictures of her in various stages of her late life.
In the midst of the exhibition, there is a projected video of Kahlo being caressed by her husband. The fact that this video projection is in between rooms where her original work stands, suggests that the exhibition does not treat Frida’s commodification and her authentic self as two separate entities. Instead, it acknowledges her commodification as a factor that has also contributed to the rise of her artistic fame.
With both her original works on display and a room dedicated to ‘Fridamania’, it becomes clear that the exhibition is rather ambiguous towards her position as an icon.
Instead, it invites visitors to consider the relationship between her artistic legacy and her commercial commodification.
The inclusion of a selection of unfinished sketches and family portraits, as well as multiple acknowledgements of Kahlo’s disability and miscarriages, allows audiences to confront Kahlo’s incomplete and fractured identity as an artist and as a woman.
Simultaneously, the Tate isn’t exactly hiding that Kahlo is, undeniably, a “market figure”.
Whilst Ramírez vehemently denied this in her opening statements, the exhibition’s £25 entry fee, merch stand and aforementioned section dedicated to Fridamania make it clear that Kahlo is still very much a source of social, political and economic capital.
However, by openly exploring Kahlo as both a commodity and individual, the Tate provokes the audience to ponder the multifaceted identity of Kahlo as well as the creative, yet capitalistic culture that her art exists within.
Should Students Visit?
Without a doubt, yes.
Whilst the entry fee may seem daunting to some, thankfully the Tate do offer £5 tickets to students aged 16-25 as part of their Tate Collective Scheme.
Beyond this, Frida: The Making of An Icon tells the story of a creative icon and social advocate whose work, whilst celebrated posthumously, has influenced people across the globe.
In this, the Tate shines a light on who Kahlo is beyond her political significance. By exploring the deep and often sinister sides of her life, this exhibition reminds you that it is certainly possible to change the world in spite of adversity, oppression and the odd life-altering mistake.
Not only does this exhibition demonstrate how Kahlo has inspired generations of artists after her, but it also provides a bold, complex role model for young people at a time when being bold and provocative is so quickly criticised.
Whether you view Frida as an artist, a feminist, or cultural icon, this exhibition reveals the woman behind the myth – and it is well worth the trip.
Frida: The Making of An Icon runs at Tate Modern until January 3 2027.
About the authors
