Tate Modern explores Frida Kahlo's global icon status in new exhibition
The Tate Modern in London is presenting "Frida: The Making of an Icon," an exhibition running from June 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027, that examines how Frida Kahlo became a worldwide phenomenon. Rather than a traditional retrospective, the show analyzes the construction of her myth, tracing her journey from a relatively obscure artist in her lifetime to one of the most influential painters today. The first section covers her youth, her accident, early self-portraits, personal objects like jewelry and corsets, and Nickolas Muray's 1941 film showing Kahlo with Diego Rivera at Casa Azul in Mexico City. The second part explores her connections to Paris and surrealism, her pioneering identity as a woman, non-European, disabled, and queer, and her friendships with Jacqueline Lamba and Leonor Fini. The third section highlights her posthumous influence since the 1970s, particularly through the Chicano movement, and artists such as Judy Chicago, Ana Mendieta, and Yasumasa Morimura. The final section critiques the commercial exploitation of her image through merchandise like mugs, dolls, and T-shirts, noting the irony of a Mexican icon persisting in a time of anti-immigrant sentiment. The exhibition includes works by Diego Rivera, Maria Izquierdo, and Mary McCartney, and features a Guerrilla Girls piece.
Key facts
- Exhibition titled 'Frida: The Making of an Icon' at Tate Modern, London
- Runs from June 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027
- Focuses on how Frida Kahlo became a global icon, not a retrospective
- First section covers her youth, accident, self-portraits, and personal objects
- Includes Nickolas Muray's 1941 film of Kahlo and Diego Rivera at Casa Azul
- Second section explores her ties to Paris, surrealism, and queer identity
- Third section shows her influence on Chicano movement and artists like Judy Chicago and Yasumasa Morimura
- Final section critiques commercial merchandise and ends with Guerrilla Girls
Entities
Artists
- Frida Kahlo
- Diego Rivera
- Nickolas Muray
- Jacqueline Lamba
- Leonor Fini
- Judy Chicago
- Ana Mendieta
- Yasumasa Morimura
- Maria Izquierdo
- Mary McCartney
- Guerrilla Girls
- Tracey Emin
- Yayoi Kusama
- Olafur Eliasson
- El Anatsui
- María Izquierdo
- Kiki Smith
- Kati Horna
- Nahúm B. Zenil
- Georgina Quintana
- Martine Gutierrez
- André Breton
- Anna Müller
- Carrie Mae Weems
- Catherine Opie
- Elsa Schiaparelli
- Chavela Vargas
- Tina Modotti
- Claude Cahun
- Carmen Mondragón
- Imogen Cunningham
- Lola Álvarez Bravo
- Remedios Varo
- Leonora Carrington
- Hayden Herrera
- Hannah Silver
- Julien Levy
- Berenice Olmedo
- Andy Warhol
- Sylvia Plath
- Edith Piaf
- Judy Garland
- James Joyce
- Sue Hubbard
- Louise Bourgeois
- Salma Hayek
- Leon Trotsky
- Vincent van Gogh
- Pablo Picasso
- Karl Marx
- Che Guevara
- Donald Trump
- Caravaggio
- David Hockney
- Cristina Kahlo
Institutions
- Tate Modern
- Connaissance des Arts
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Luhring Augustine
- Yoshiko Isshiki Office
- Aesthetica Magazine
- Malba Foundation
- Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Communist Party (PCM)
- The Detroit News
- Wallpaper*
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Museum of Modern Art
- Brooklyn Museum
- Palacio de Bellas Artes
- Carnaby Street
- Julien Levy Gallery
- Tate Gallery
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Jewish Museum New York
- Casa Azul
- Mexico's National Preparatory School
- Pushkin Press
- Seren Books
- Artlyst
- French national collection
- Mattel
- Bank of America
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- Paris
- France
- Japan
- New York
- United States
- Tokyo
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Philadelphia
- Coyoacán
- La Casa Azul
- Houston
- Arad
- Romania
- Dublin
- Ireland
- Burnley
- Russia
- Bankside
- Casa Azul