A lot has been written on Frida Kahlo. In the decades since her death, the Mexican artist has captivated plenty of audiences. And while it’s not easy to uncover new information about her, people are always finding fresh ways to tell her story. For María Hesse, this meant illustrating the author’s life in a book titled Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life. Told in a first-person account, the book doesn’t shy away from what made Frida, Frida. It covers her disability, her bisexuality, and puts her unibrow on display.
For Hesse, this book wasn’t something she planned, but something that happened by chance. And from that we got Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life, where Hesse attempted to give us the most authentic version of Frida. “She gave it her all until her last moment,” Hesse said. “She painted deeply and honestly about pain, a universal place where we’ve all been many times.”
Below, check out some of the illustrations – some of which are inspired by Kahlo’s drawings and others that aim to show us more about the painter.
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