The upcoming "Frida: The Making of an Icon" exhibition offers an in-depth exploration of Frida Kahlo’s artistic legacy and her global cultural impact.
By Arts Editorial Staff
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is set to unveil a groundbreaking exhibition, Frida: The Making of an Icon, in January 2026. This highly anticipated showcase will be the first to comprehensively explore the transformation of Frida Kahlo from a relatively unknown artist to one of the world’s most recognizable cultural icons.
Curated by Mari Carmen Ramírez, the MFAH's Wortham Curator of Latin American Art, the exhibition aims to dissect the complex interplay between Kahlo's artistry and her meticulously constructed persona. “The exhibition reveals how the different facets of Kahlo's complex personality—carefully crafted and projected—were adapted and reshaped over time, turning her into the iconic figure we recognize today,” explains Ramírez.
Featuring over 30 of Kahlo’s own works alongside more than 120 pieces by artists inspired by her life and art, the exhibition spans across seven thematic sections. Visitors will trace Kahlo’s evolving image, examining her self-construction, her complicated relationship with Surrealism, and her posthumous adoption by Chicano/a artists starting in the 1970s. The show also highlights Kahlo’s enduring influence on feminist and LGBTQ+ art movements, the Neo-Mexicanism movement of the late 1980s and 1990s, and contemporary activist art.
A standout section, devoted to Fridamania, explores the commercialization of Kahlo’s image—from Barbie dolls to cosmetics—and examines how her distinctive appearance has been appropriated by the fashion, music, and political realms. This section underscores the ways Kahlo’s image has become an invaluable cultural commodity, sought after by designers, musicians, and even politicians to align themselves with her cultural significance.
Drawing from the MFAH's International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA), the exhibition will also include archival documents, photographs, and personal artifacts such as Indigenous Mexican dresses and jewelry from Kahlo’s own collection. A fully illustrated catalog featuring essays by fourteen scholars will accompany the show, offering diverse perspectives on Kahlo’s far-reaching influence.
After premiering in Houston, the exhibition will travel to Tate Modern in London from June 2026 to January 2027, further cementing Kahlo’s status as a global artistic icon. With support from Bank of America, this exhibition promises to be one of the most thorough investigations into Kahlo's cultural impact ever assembled.
As MFAH director Gary Tinterow notes, “While there have been numerous Frida Kahlo exhibitions worldwide since the 1970s, Mari Carmen Ramírez’s curatorial approach—leveraging the unrivaled resources of our ICAA—provides a rare opportunity to view the full breadth of Kahlo's lasting appeal through a fascinating array of objects and artworks.”
For art enthusiasts and fashion lovers alike, Frida: The Making of an Icon offers an unprecedented chance to explore how Kahlo’s personal vision continues to resonate across generations, influencing not only the art world but also shaping global conversations about identity, culture, and commodification.
Nickolas Muray, Frida with her Pet Eagle, Coyoacán, 1939, printed 2024, inkjet print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of Nickolas Muray Photo Archives. © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives