“I’ll paint myself,” Frida Kahlo once said, “because I am so often alone, because I am the subject I know best.” In her lifetime, she created 140 vibrant and unforgettable paintings that drew from both her physical and emotional pain. Now, in Venezuela, a group of 50 artists have taken inspiration from Frida’s life for a new exhibit titled Siempre Frida. In the last 10 years or so, Frida’s popularity has soared in Venezuela because she’s been seen as a symbol of women’s strength. So in honor of her 109th birthday (July 9), the Florida Art Gallery in Caracas.
Curated by Mirela Soto, she picked Frida Kahlo, “because she was a woman who overcame the difficulties and never stopped creating,” according to El Universal. “She was a person who fought for her and her society. And then, somehow, it’s easy to identify with her as a woman and as an artist in the middle of a society as difficult as Venezuela.” All artists are Venezuelan. And whether they looked at Frida, the icon, or some conceptual version of her, these pieces all pay homage to the famed Mexican painter. From detailed love scenes to photographs to sculptures, women like Aura Moreno, Thais Tula Leal, Gladys Calzadilla, Carolina Senior, Yarmila Guaramato, and more offered their own unique take on Frida.
Check out a small peek below:
The exhibit will be displayed at the Florida Art Gallery in Caracas, Venezuela until August 20th. Admission is free.
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