As I shared in my previous entry, traveling allows me not only the opportunity to find rest but the chance to immerse myself in another culture. Local art was next on the list.
A piece of art offers a small peek into a country’s vast history. Who made it? When did they create it? What were they going through at that very moment? These are some of the questions that come to mind when viewing such works – minute details that are often overlooked in the history books, and yet tell of a tale so intimate and relatable. However, these only contain mere fragments of the whole story, assuming the message was not lost in translation in the first place.
So how about the full story instead? How about perusing through a memoir located deep at the heart of Mexico City – the Frida Kahlo Museum?
Museo Frida Kahlo, also known as La Casa Azul (The Blue House – and yes it is actually very blue) was the birthplace and home of one of Mexico’s highly-acclaimed artists, Frida Kahlo. The museum was originally built in 1904 and now holds a massive collection showcasing Kahlo’s works, clothes, and her various personal belongings.
Frida Kahlo is renowned for her various self-portraits and her distinctive surrealist style. She is also known for the vulnerability and authenticity her art showcases. Kahlo contracted Polio at the age of the six, weakening and shortening her right leg. At 18, she got into an accident where the bus she was riding in collided with a streetcar, leaving her hospitalized for a month. For the rest of her life, she would go on to experience multiple complications to her health, from contracted diseases to a damaged spinal column. Kahlo’s art is a clear depiction of her life, with each work reflecting her thoughts and feelings at any given circumstance – almost like a diary.
To step inside La Casa Azul, one not only gets to appreciate art, instead, you are invited to get to know and understand the personality behind the work. Not to mention, the collection also provides a much-appreciated peek into Mexican culture and history, dating back to the 1900s.
