‘Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?’ Frida Kahlo
If there is one woman that has been igniting the imagination of Istanbulites for decades, she is Frida Kahlo. Although she is from a completely different culture, country, language and time, she is with us as an eternal image. You can see her everywhere in Istanbul, on posters, t-shirts, jewellery, objects, mugs, walls inside stores.
I have always wondered about Istanbul’s fascination and obsession with her. How can a Mexican woman be a cultural icon in modern Istanbul? I have always thought it is somehow related to her life full of agony, endurance and salutogenesis in the face of all her traumas and troubles. I sense that millions of Turkish women identify with her sorrows and strength.
Now, I have recently learnt that there is an exhibition of Kahlo that drew its inspiration from her memoirs in Istanbul. You can see this exhibition of Kahlo in Grand Pera in Beyoğlu.
a photo from the exhibition
If you are visiting İstanbul, take some time to pay tribute to Frida Kahlo who is symbol of creativity and endurance in the face of life’s greatest tragedies and visit her exhibition in Grand Pera till the 26th of October.
