Frida. Viva la Vida 2019

The Tate Gallery in London named Mexican artist Frida Kahlo one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Her oeuvre consists mostly of self-portraits that combine elements of traditional Mexican culture and magical realism, which are widely collected by major museums, causing "Fridamania" the world over. Andre Breton, the founder of the Surrealist movement, likened her works to a ribbon around a bomb, while Picasso thought that no one can paint a better self-portrait than Kahlo, and Duchamp helped her organise an art exhibition in Paris. More recently, fashion houses such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy and Dolce & Gabbana introduced collections inspired by her art, and there is even a Frida Kahlo-style Barbie doll!

Kahlo's self-portraits are like confessions as well as silent implorations of her loneliness. A traffic accident that occurred when she was eighteen years old left her in constant pain throughout her life. Her marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera was also troubled, and she endured many separations and reunions with her husband. Such emotional and physical pains led her to seek refuge in alcohol, drugs and art. Brutally honest and rebellious, Kahlo laid bare her emotions and politics in such paintings as "The Two Fridas", "The Broken Column" and "The Wounded Deer", etc., which boldly portray a candid feminine sense of beauty and melancholy.