Frida Kahlo Exhibition

Last week, DP Visual Art students took an inspiring trip to the Shenzhen Sea World Arts and Culture Center to see the original works of Frida Kahlo. Visiting this exhibition gave the students an opportunity to connect their highly theoretical coursework with the life and work of a real artist. Students viewed Frida’s personal possessions and clothes, read her diaries and letters, and felt the connection between personal experience and artmaking. Students learned about Frida’s cultural and historical context by viewing archaeological artifacts from Mexico. They also gained important insights about what goes into curating an exhibition.

1.Frida’s Diaries and Letters

An essential component of the IB visual arts experience is the process portfolio or artmaking inquiries portfolio. By documenting their artistic process, students learn how to reflect deeply on their personal experiences and translate these into visual imagery. Frida’s diaries showed the students a compelling example of how a world-renowned artist did the same thing.

“Frida’s diaries show raw emotion and subconscious drawing techniques. It’s just like the the surrealist work I studied for my extended essay and studio practice.” Chloe, Grade 12 visual arts student.

Frida’s diaries and letters had a profound emotional impact on all of the students.

2. Archaeological Artifacts

The Frida Kahlo exhibit had artifacts both from Frida’s life and from her ancestors. Housed in one room of the exhibition were ancient Mayan statues, colorful, traditional masks, and even Frida’s own clothing. Grade 12 Tammi was most moved by Frida’s traditional Mexican “huipil” shirt. “I can’t believe she actually wore this. It’s like history come to life,” Tammi reflected. Viewing this part of the exhibit exemplified the IB visual arts expectation that art should be understood within its cultural and historical context.

3. Learning to Curate

A final takeaway from the fieldtrip was something highly practical: the students soaked up inspiration for their own upcoming exhibitions. Grade 12 Kevin gained insights into how to build his 3D installation and Grade 12 Rachel reflected on the exhibition layout: “I like that it takes you through Frida’s life chronologically, but also has thematic organization.” The students will surely reflect on this expertly curated experience as they move forward with planning their own art show.

All in all, the Frida Kahlo fieldtrip was an amazing experience for the DP art students. We are all thankful for Utahloy’s steadfast commitment to experiential learning.

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