Tickets on sale for Frida showcase, drawcard pieces announced

TICKET sales have come online for Bendigo Art Gallery’s (BAG) much-anticipated Frida Kahlo exhibition, In her own image, which will open in March.

Exclusive to BAG and direct from Mexico’s Museo Frida Kahlo, the iconic Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940) will feature, on loan from the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas.

Still Life with Parrot and Fruit (1951) is also coming Down Under, and some of the painter and illustrator’s original drawings, clothing and accessories, cosmetics and medical artefacts will be part of the showcase, having been stored in the bathroom of her family home for half a century.

These pieces and the portrait have never been seen in Australia.

“We are so thankful to the Harry Ransom Center for lending the spectacular painting, which will be displayed for the first time alongside two special items from Kahlo’s home which appear in the painting, identified by the expert staff of La Casa Azul,” Bendigo Art Gallery director Jessica Bridgfoot said.

“Very few of Frida Kahlo’s works are accessible to the public, because they are in private collections or cannot travel outside of Mexico.

“Long periods of convalescence and chronic pain frequently rendered her unable to paint, so her surviving paintings are carefully protected around the world.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity for Australian audiences to see both her work and the beautiful life she created.

“This remarkable collection rarely travels outside Mexico, and has never before been seen in Australia.

“Kahlo’s much-loved home, La Casa Azul, now the Museo Frida Kahlo, was the embodiment of her art, philosophies, and design influences.”

Those captivated by Kahlo as an icon, known for her vibrant clothing, make-up, cultural expression and social advocacy, are sure to not be disappointed.

“Frida Kahlo: In her own image originates from the extensive investigation of Frida Kahlo’s personal objects, found in trunks, wardrobes, drawers, bathrooms and cellars of the Casa Azul,” Frida Kahlo Museum director Perla Labarthe Alvarez said.

“The exhibition is a unique opportunity to learn about Kahlo’s life in a classical Mexican house which encompassed not only her personal world but so much of Mexican life and culture.

“These endearing objects help us understand the story of this complex artist with all her humanity, resilience and creative power.”

The show runs from 15 March to 13 July and is part of the Bendigo International Collections exhibitions series.

“They are focused on exploring the inspiration and legacies of the great style icons of our time, such as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Cristóbal Balenciaga and Grace Kelly, figures who have singularly shaped modern visual culture,” Ms Bridgfoot said.

Visit bendigoartgallery.com.au.