Glenbow is pleased to present the first Canadian showing of Frida Kahlo: Her Photos, an exhibition that has travelled to 12 cities in 7 countries, and has received more than half a million visitors.
For the first time in this country, visitors will be able to see a treasure trove of images previously locked away in the Kahlo estate archives for more than 50 years.
Frida Kahlo’s distinctive, colourful self-portraits and extraordinary life have made her one of the most recognized artists of the twentieth century. Less well known is her special relationship with photography. Throughout her life, Kahlo meticulously collected photographs of herself and her loved ones as well as scenes of Mexican culture, politics, art, history and nature. The exhibition Frida Kahlo: Her Photos gives us the opportunity to better understand the woman behind the artist: her origins, her roots, her friendships and romantic relationships, her constant fight with her fragile health, her political tendencies, and the strong role that photography played in her life and work.
Glenbow presents a selection of more than 240 images from a collection of 6,500 photographs from the archives of Casa Azul (the Blue House) – the residence where Frida Kahlo spent most of her life. The photographs were locked away in a room of the Blue House along with many of Frida’s belongings after her death in 1954. This remarkable collection was revealed to the public in 2007.
The exhibition includes photographs by Kahlo, as well as photographs by such creative luminaries as Man Ray, Martin Munkácsi, Tina Modotti, Edward Weston, Nickolas Muray, and Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, among many others. The exhibition promises to reveal insights into Kahlo’s rich and deeply personal world, and tells a fascinating story of an artist, a place, and an era.