Upcountry History Museum Presents Unique Exhibit of Iconic Artist, Frida Kahlo
June 27, 2024
Recognized as one of Mexico’s most prolific and well-known female artists, Frida Kahlo’s work has been the subject of many exhibitions. In this traveling retrospective, “Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray,” the Upcountry History Museum – Greenville County, a Smithsonian Affiliate, presents an intimate look at the artist herself as seen through the photographic lens of her long-time friend, Nickolas Muray. The exhibition opens Saturday, June 29, 2024.
In May 1931, photographer Nickolas Muray (1892-1965) traveled to Mexico on vacation where he met Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), a woman he would never forget. The two started a romance that continued on and off for the next 10 years and a friendship that lasted until her death in 1954. Approximately 50 photographic portraits taken by Muray are featured in this exhibition. The photographs, dating from 1937 to 1946, explore Muray’s unique perspective and bring to light Kahlo’s deep interest in her Mexican heritage, her life and the people significant to her with whom she shared a close friendship.
Born in Hungary, Muray became a successful New York fashion and commercial photographer known for his portraits of celebrities, politicians, socialites and artists. Having experimented with color in his work from early on, he found his most colorful model in Kahlo. A prolific photographer whose archives contain over 25,000 images, he photographed Kahlo more than any of his other subjects. These portraits of Kahlo have made their way into a variety of media and popular culture and are integral to the world’s understanding of who Frida Kahlo was as an individual behind her artwork.
“Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray” will be on display from Saturday, June 29 through Sunday, October 13, 2024. This traveling exhibition has been organized through the Nickolas Muray Archives and is circulated by GuestCurator Traveling Exhibitions located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Upcountry History Museum is located at 540 Buncombe St., in Greenville, S.C. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 864-467-3100 or visit www.upcountryhistory.org.
