Frida Kahlo exhibit at NYBG
Designer Carolina Herrera is honoring the artist who has provided inspirations for fashion by sponsoring the New York Botanical Garden’s Frida Kahlo: Art, Garden & Life exhibit.
Fourteen of Kahlo’s paintings and works will be on display inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and Carolina Herrera will also continue the theme at the Conservatory Ball this June. Teaming with a world-renowned artist at a prestigious garden will likely only bring positive outcomes for Carolina Herrera.
Frida’s flowers
Frida Kahlo: Art, Garden & Life will center on the artist’s focus on nature in her native country, Mexico. This is among the first exhibitions to focus only on her interest in botany.
The Conservatory is recreating Ms. Kahlo’s studio and garden in Mexico City. Elements of the Mexico City garden, Casa Azul, are seen in the Conservatory to show guests and enthusiasts her inspirations for her artwork.
Fourteen of Ms. Kahlo’s works will be on display in the Garden’s Art Gallery. These ones were selected for their detailed plant imagery and have been borrowed from museums and private collections in Mexico and the United States.
Image from opening weekend
In a a statement Ms. Herrera said, “Frida Kahlo has been a source of inspiration for me; her vibrant use of color, sense of proportion and her whimsical style all her own. It is fantastic to welcome her exquisite paintings to the Botanical Garden.”
The designer’s collections have been inspired by Ms. Kahlo’s works and her use of bright colors and floral motifs. Sponsoring this exhibit is likely an ode to those inspirations.
At the garden, other events are designed to invite visitors to learn about Kahlo’s life and cultural influence through music, lectures, Frida al Fresco evenings, Mexican-inspired shopping and dining experiences, and hands-on art activities for kids.
Other luxury brands have latched onto events at the New York Botanical Garden.
For instance, beauty marketer Guerlain teamed up with the New York Botanical Garden on its Orchid Evenings to promote its line centered on the flower.
Held every Saturday between March 7 and April 18, Orchid Evenings was publicized as a “romantic date destination,” with dining, live entertainment and cocktails. This event helped Guerlain reach floral lovers who would likely be interested in its Orchidée Impériale (see story).