The World of Frida
The World of Frida celebrates the culture, style, and persona of visionary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907–1954), who continues to inspire with her story of love, loss, and incredible bravery.
Rupert Garcia, Frida Kahlo, 2002/1975, woodcut print, edition 9/50, 43 × 33 inches. Courtesy of Magnolia Editions, Oakland, CA.
Featuring works of art by more than seventy-five national and international artists practicing in a variety of media, the exhibition includes Frida Kahlo as subject as well as pieces inspired by her life and art, her beautiful garden, Mexican culture and fashion, vibrant colors, surrealism, and more.
This diverse group of artists reflects today’s global celebration of Frida Kahlo as an iconic, renegade artist and outspoken feminist. Beyond her powerful and personal paintings, people admire how she persevered throughout her life against devastating odds. Stricken with polio as a child, and left permanently injured by a bus accident at age eighteen, Kahlo was subjected to an enormous amount of pain and turmoil. While recovering from multiple serious injuries that confined her to bed, she returned to her childhood hobby of painting—and found an emotional outlet.
The artists featured in The World of Frida have reinterpreted many aspects of Kahlo’s life, and this installation organizes the rich array of artworks into several sections. Groupings include artwork in homage to Kahlo’s self-portraits and other paintings, as well as artwork inspired by iconic photographs of her by Nickolas Muray. Other groupings highlight details of her life, such as her love affair and tumultuous marriage with the Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera, her painful physical struggles, and her feminism, which was ahead of her time.
Read moreThere are also sections devoted to artists responding to Kahlo’s love of flowers, plants and animals, including her self-identification as a wounded deer. The exhibition concludes with memorials to Kahlo created in textile and mixed media. In myriad ways throughout the exhibition, artists have channeled her audaciously charming and carefully crafted persona. Kahlo passionately embraced indigenous Mexican traditions and adorned herself with ornate jewelry, flowers, and bright colors—often dressing in folk attire, or occasionally in drag.
Carrie Lederer, who curated the exhibition for the Bedford Gallery, states that, “Frida Kahlo summoned a stalwart and heroic strength to push forward through her life, which is why I believe she continues to resonate today. She has become a beacon for those who have also struggled, and her alluring biographical artwork not only serves as artistic inspiration but as a visual interpretation of strength and bravery.”
In contrast to Kahlo’s current fame, she remained largely unrecognized until the late 1970s when art historians and political activists rediscovered her work. Since then, she has became an icon to many—including the Chicano, feminist, and LGBTQ movements. The World of Frida is a remarkable tribute to an artist who continues to influence millions by the simple fact that she always remained true to herself.
The World of Frida was organized by Carrie Lederer, Curator of Exhibitions, Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA. The Hudson River Museum will be the only New York venue for the exhibition.
The World of Frida will be exhibited in conjunction with Frida Kahlo in Context, organized by Laura Vookles, Curatorial Chair, Hudson River Museum.
Exhibitions are made possible by assistance provided by the County of Westchester.
The World of Frida and Frida Kahlo in Context are supported by the City of Yonkers, Mayor Mike Spano.
#HRMWorldofFrida #FridaKahlo
Participating Artists
Cheryl Abraham (Wauna, WA) • Tara Ahern, Mariam Pare, and Reveca Torres (Prospects Heights, IL) • Adela Antoinette (Tucson, AZ) • ARTNWORDZ [Micha Kuechenhoff and Grant Rosen] (Long Beach, CA) • Kim Bagwill (Joshua Tree, CA) • Monica Balmelli (Diamond Bar, CA) • Charles Barth (Cedar Rapids, IA) • Kaethe Bealer (Emeryville, CA) • Mandy Behrens (Berkeley, CA) • Anita Beshirs (San Francisco, CA) • Claudia Blanco (San Jose, CA) • Elisa Bolanos (Lincoln, CA) • Kerstin Bruchhäuser (Hamburg, Germany) • Jamie Burnside (Santa Monica, CA) • Alberto Carol (Miami, FL) • Cheryl Chapman (La Pine, OR) • Mona Cliff (Lawrence, KS) • Sarah Cuevas (Walnut Creek, CA) • Sandra De Jaume (Santa Maria del Camí, Majorca, Spain) • Marian De La Torre-Easthope (Walnut Creek, CA) • Dion Dion (Manchester, MO) • Razan Elbaba (Vienna, VA) • Carlo Fantin (Oakland, CA) • Martin Francisco Valenzuela (Dalton, GA) • Francisco Franco (San Francisco, CA) • Rupert Garcia (Oakland, CA) • Betsy Gorman (Valatie, NY) • Debra Grall (Baraboo, WI) • Amandalynn Grazier (San Francisco, CA) • Simone Guimaraes (San Francisco, CA) • Catherine Hicks (Marble Falls, TX) • Christine Aria Hostetler (Tulso, OK) • Yan Inlow (Alameda, CA) • Jeni Jenkins (Cincinnati, OH) • Barbara Johansen Newman (Needham, MA) • Johnny Karwan (San Francisco, CA) • Carlyn Krall (Schaefferstown, PA) • Irene A. Lawson (Custer, WA) • Pearl Lee Short (Walnut Creek, CA) • Lujiang Li (Flushing, NY) • Emilio López-Menchero (Brussels, Belgium) • Katie McCann (Berkeley, CA) • Alexis McKeown (Canmore, Alberta, Canada) • Julia McLeod (Walnut Creek, CA) • Kalen Meyer (Berkeley, CA) • Natasha Millard (Lewisville, TX) • Peter Moen (San Jose, CA) • Crystal Moody (Springfield, MO) • Atsuko Morita (San Francisco, CA) • Maria Motta (Walnut Creek, CA) • Nancy Mozelsio (Walnut Creek, CA) • Monica Nares (San Marcos, CA) • Jazmine Parra (Moraga, CA) • Vivian Patton (Groveland, CA) • Stikki Peaches (Canada) • Karen Provost (Townsend, MA) • Bonnie Rathjen (Pleasanton, CA) • Kat Reilly (Redwood City, CA) • Barbara Rivera (San Jacinto, CA) • Lorena Rocha Williams (El Paso, TX) • Pete Rodriguez (Bronx, NY) • Joshua Roman (Pine Mountain Club, CA) • Amanda Rosenblatt (Jacksonville, FL) • Racheal Scotland (Chicago, IL) • Misty Segura-Bowers (San Rafael, CA) • Jennifer Shada (San Francisco, CA) • Denise Silva (Riverside, CA) • Juan Solis (Perris, CA) • Shannon Taylor (Oakland, CA) • Marco Terenziani (Carpi, Italy) • Netsanet Tesfay (Walnut Creek, CA) • Cindy Thompson (Chowchilla, CA) • Anna Valdez (San Francisco, CA) • Maya Vera (Tucson, AZ) • Carlos Villez (San Jose, CA) • Roberto Voorbij (Amsterdam, Netherlands) • Lin Wei (San Francisco, CA) • Mimi Williams (Olympia, WA) • Angel Wynn (Santa Fe, NM)
The Teaching Artist-in-Residence for The World of Frida and Frida Kahlo in Context is David Enriquez. Learn more about the Residency Program here.
Selected objects
Kim Bagwill (Joshua Tree, CA). Young Frida, 2018. Oil on panel, 25.5 × 25.5 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Claudia Blanco (San Jose, CA). 8-Bit Frida, 2017. Acrylic on canvas, 24 × 18 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Kerstin Bruchhäuser (Hamburg, Germany). Larger Than Life (Frida Kahlo), 2018. Appliqué and embroidery with cotton, linen, leather and silk thread on cotton gauze, 105 × 65 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Jamie Burnside (Santa Monica, CA). Defiant Deer, 2018. Acrylic on canvas, 31.5 × 16.5 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Sarah Cuevas (Walnut Creek, CA). I thought the earth remembered me, 2018. Embroidery, 13.25 × 14.25 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Sandra De Jaume (Santa Maria del Camí, Majorca, Spain). Frida Kahlo with Okinawa Flowers, 2016. Acrylic on canvas, 53 × 41 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Marian De La Torre-Easthope (Walnut Creek, CA). Frida’s Chair, 2018. Oil on canvas, 30 × 28 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Dion Dion (Manchester, MO). SunKissedFrond, 2010. Oil on canvas, 36 × 36 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Carlo Fantin (Oakland, CA). Yes Another Frida Kahlo Portrait, 2018. Hand-cut paper, 15 × 12 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Rupert Garcia (Oakland, CA). Frida Kahlo, 2002/1975. Woodcut print, 43 × 33 inches. Courtesy of Magnolia Editions, Oakland, CA.
Betsy Gorman (Valatie, NY). Frida with Flower Crown, 2018. Mixed media collage, variable dimensions. Courtesy of Level One Art Installation, San Diego, CA.
Catherine Hicks (Marble Falls, TX). Diego’s Chica, a portrait of Frida, 2014. Silk and metallic crewel embroidery and stumpwork, 12 × 9 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Barbara Johansen Newman (Needham, MA). All this Madness, 2018. Acrylic on wood, 43 × 37 × 5 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Katie McCann (Berkeley, CA). Frida’s Red, 2018. Collage, 15 × 12 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Jazmine Parra (Moraga, CA). Viva La Huelga, 2018. Graphite on skateboard deck, 31 × 8 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Stikki Peaches (Canada). Frida #51, 2017. Mixed media on paper, 46 × 32 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Karen Provost (Townsend, MA). My Frida, 2017. Mixed media collage on wood panel, 30 × 24 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Pete Rodriguez (Bronx, NY). Frida la Soldadera, 2018. Acrylic on canvas, 20 × 16 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Jennifer Shada (San Francisco, CA). Bufanda De Seda, 2018. Watercolor on paper, 57.5 × 42.25 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Denise Silva (Riverside, CA). Frida: With Wings to Fly, 2017. Acrylic, paper, and gold leaf, 12 × 12 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Juan Solis (Perris, CA). Corazon de Frida, 2018. Acrylic on canvas, 44 × 44 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Netsanet Tesfay (Walnut Creek, CA). Resist: Frida in pussy hat, 2018. Watercolor and ink, 22 × 18 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Anna Valdez (San Francisco, CA). Windowsill, 2017. Archival pigment print of oil & acrylic painting, 19 × 19 inches. Courtesy of Hashimoto Contemporary, San Francisco, CA.
Maya Vera (Tucson, AZ). Colonial Chic, 2016. Archival inkjet print, 25 × 19 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Carlos Villez (San Jose, CA). Parakata Poderosa, 2016. Giclée on canvas, 30 × 24 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Lin Wei (San Francisco, CA). Welcoming Frida to My Imagination, 2018. Oil painting, 25 × 19 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Photo: Steven Paneccasio.
Photo: Steven Paneccasio.
Photo: Steven Paneccasio.
Photo: Steven Paneccasio.
Photo: Steven Paneccasio.
Photo: Steven Paneccasio.
Photo: Steven Paneccasio.
Photo: Steven Paneccasio.
