Must-See Exhibition: Frida by Ishiuchi Miyako

By Jessica Beresford
Viva
Frida's shoes. Picture / Ishiuchi Miyako. Courtesy Michael Hoppen Gallery.

Frida Kahlo’s prosthetic leg, traditional Tehuana dresses and cat-eye glasses, among other artefacts, have been meticulously documented by Japanese photographer Ishiuchi Miyako for a new exhibition which opens in London this week.

Frida by Ishiuchi Miyako is a visual documentation of the Mexican artist's wardrobe and belongings, which were kept sealed in the bathroom of her and her husband's home, The Blue House, until 2004.

By presenting Kahlo’s possessions, Miyako tells a story of how the painter developed her style in her self-portraits. After contracting polio as a child and being involved in a near-fatal bus accident at 18, Kahlo was an invalid throughout her life. She was often bedridden because of her ailments and started painting herself as a way to pass the time, dressing in elaborate costumes to conceal the damage to her lower body.

Miyako, who is renowned for depicting the trauma of post-war Japan, won the prestigious Hasselblad Award in 2014 and has had two previous exhibitions displayed at the Michael Hoppen Gallery.

Frida by Ishiuchi Miyako, Michael Hoppen Gallery, London, May 13-July 12.

Frida's possessions. Picture / Ishiuchi Miyako. Courtesy Michael Hoppen Gallery.
Frida's possessions. Picture / Ishiuchi Miyako. Courtesy Michael Hoppen Gallery.

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