Over fifty years after the death of one of Mexico’s most renowned artists, the Victoria and Albert Museum brings together a collection of a variety of art, costume and iconic artefacts that demonstrate the true depth of Frida’s character.

One thing that immediately stands out from the exhibition is the level of hardship Frida experienced throughout her life, as a woman growing in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution. Given the fact that her artwork was such a form of catharsis for her struggles, from her bus accident aged 18, to her miscarriage later in life, it seemed impossible not to include a certain level of detail which portrays the origin of paintings such as ‘My Birth,’ and ‘The Bus,’ and the suffering that went into them. A display including the prosthetic leg she used as a result of her leg amputation as well as the corset she wore to correct her spinal problems were dramatic insights into these difficulties.

Yet the exhibition does well to vividly demonstrate that, of course, Frida was also a figure of pride and strength, and a large aspect of this was her ‘Mexicanidad.’ A painting on display, ‘Portrait on the Border between the U.S and Mexico,’ shows the sense of harmony and tranquility her home country gives her. Art aside, Frida’s style demonstrated both her closeness to her roots and her controversial and progressive persona. Traditional Mexican items of clothing, including the ‘huipil,’ ‘rebozo,’ and ‘tehuana,’ were visually striking insights into a stunningly proud and artistic figure.