Rude, heavy-drinking and a committed communist': the Frida Kahlo you can't buy in the gift shop

A new Tate Modern exhibition, Frida: The Making of an Icon, has renewed debate about how Frida Kahlo is portrayed in mass culture and retail settings. The article argues that Kahlo’s life and career are often simplified into a widely recognized visual shorthand, while her biography is sanitized in children’s literature and popular art books. It notes that the exhibit opened earlier this month and is not a straightforward survey, instead presenting her work alongside peers and later generations of artists influenced by her. Curator Beatriz García-Velasco says universal accessibility has helped multiple communities claim Kahlo as their own, while the show also explores “Fridamania” and projects such as Todos Podem Ser Frida in Brazil. The piece highlights how commercialization can be inseparable from capitalism, yet also framed as a form of shared ownership, while questioning the appropriateness of consumer products featuring Kahlo’s image.