There have been numerous shows which explore the external image of Frida Kahlo—not just her much copied, vibrant dress sense and use of bold accessories, but also the way in which she defined herself through her politics, ethnicity and disability. One such show was Making Herself Up at the V&A in London last year. Next, the Brooklyn Museum will open a show Appearances Can Be Deceiving on 8 February. It is “the largest U.S. exhibition in ten years devoted to the iconic painter and the first in the United States to display a collection of her clothing and other personal possessions, which were rediscovered and inventoried in 2004 after being locked away since Kahlo’s death, in 1954”.
