A major Frida Kahlo exhibition is coming to Tate Modern in 2026. Frida: The Making of an Icon will offer a rare opportunity to explore the personal and professional life of one of the 20th century’s most recognisable artists. Bringing together paintings, drawings, letters and photographs, this exhibition traces Frida Kahlo’s artistic evolution, from her early portraits to the self-portraits that came to define her. It also explores how she shaped her image through fashion, photography and politics, establishing herself as a global symbol of resilience, identity and creative expression.

Among her most recognisable subjects, it is Kahlo’s self-portraits that remain the most enduring. These works offer a powerful reflection of her life, her sense of self and the symbolism that runs through her practice. Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940) is a small but striking example, filled with personal and cultural meaning. Here is a closer look at the details that make it such a key expression of her artistic voice.

Suffering and endurance

Kahlo’s work is inseparable from her experience of pain, both physical and emotional. In this painting, a thorn necklace pierces her neck and draws blood, a quiet reference to the lasting injuries she suffered in a bus accident as a teenager. The image evokes religious martyrdom, particularly the crown of thorns, hinting at a spiritual endurance of suffering. Yet her expression remains calm and direct, meeting the viewer’s gaze without a trace of self-pity. This balance between vulnerability and strength appears throughout her work, where pain is never portrayed as weakness but as something carried with dignity and quiet defiance.

The construction of self

Kahlo did not simply paint herself, she constructed herself. In this portrait she wears traditional Tehuana dress, associated with the matriarchal Zapotec culture of Oaxaca, which she often adopted as a statement of national pride and political identity. Her style blended personal history with cultural symbolism, rejecting European ideals of femininity in favour of something entirely her own. Her self-presentation, in both life and art, was deliberate and layered. Braided hair, embroidered clothing and bold brows formed part of a visual language through which she asserted her individuality and her connection to Mexico’s indigenous heritage.

Nature and symbolism

Kahlo’s paintings are rich in imagery drawn from the natural world, infused with layers of personal and cultural significance. In this portrait, the black cat behind her may suggest misfortune or death. The monkey, a gift from Diego Rivera, recurs in her work and appears at times affectionate, at times possessive. The lifeless hummingbird hanging from her necklace is particularly striking. In Mexican folklore, the hummingbird often symbolises vitality or hope. Here, its stillness suggests something more mournful, perhaps related to lost love or emotional fatigue. These elements function as more than decoration. They are personal emblems, cultural references and emotional markers. In Kahlo’s hands, nature becomes a space where memory, myth and feeling intertwine.