Photographer Camila Fontenele de Miranda, in her project ‘Todos Podem Ser
Frida’ enables people to become Frida Kahlo for 15 minutes (Huffington Post 26
April 2016).
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a Mexican artist. Brazilian photographer Camila
Fontenele de Miranda commenced her project ‘Todos Podem Ser Frida’ (All Can Be
Frida) in 2012 by inviting men, women, and children to stand in front of her
camera dressed as Frida Kahlo. At first it was the colours that attracted de
Miranda to Kahlo’s work, then the woman herself.
In 2012 de Miranda began the project with men, with the themes ‘Frida por
Inteiro’ (Entire Frida), ‘O Amor de Frida’ (Frida’s Love), ‘As Cores de Frida’
(Frida’s Colours), ‘A Dor de Frida’ (Frida’s Pain), and ‘O Aborto de Frida’
(Frida’s Abortion). All of the themes correlate with Kahlo’s life after she was
involved in a traffic accident, resulting in being confined to her bed. From
her bed, she began to paint. Most of her work are self-portraits. Kahlo said, ‘I
paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know
best.’ The pain of the accident continued throughout her life.
De Miranda wanted to explore gender fluidity because Kahlo herself
initially dressed in men’s clothing before wearing the flamboyant and colourful
dresses, skirts, and blouses.
De Miranda expanded her project to ‘All Can Be Frida’ to include women and
children – anyone who wanted to be Frida Kahlo for 15 minutes. The project is
continuing, and people can participate in the project for free. It takes about
15 minutes, dressing in Kahlo’s clothes with assistance from de Miranda’s
studio team.
De Miranda thinks the interest in the project is that Kahlo is ‘a
representation of what we became or what we want to become. Frida Kahlo was an
inspiring human being, so much ahead of her own time … when I’m going through
hard times I think about her and it brings me huge strength.’
Huffington Post’s Senior Arts and Culture Editor included the photographs
below in the article. The top photo is one I took at a clothes shop – with the hand-drawn
depiction of Frida Kahlo.
MARTINA NICOLLS is the author of:-
The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends
(2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan
Curse (2009).
Comments
Post a Comment