Cristina Kahlo Debunks Frida Kahlo Myths

The TIME Studios documentary Frida is in contention for the best documentary film award.

This groundbreaking film, streaming on Amazon Prime, is unique for using only the painter’s own words. Director Carla Gutierrez and her team utilize Kahlo’s letters on various topics—men, politics, feminism—along with Fernanda Echevarría Del Rivero’s narration of her personal diary entries. Animation brings the artist’s iconic paintings to life.

Cristina Kahlo, 64, a photographer for 35 years and Frida Kahlo’s great-niece, served as a consultant on Frida. Her photographic work has documented diverse subjects, including Mexican cultural institutions, danzón dance troupes, and children with disabilities.

Named after Frida Kahlo’s sister, who famously had an affair with Frida’s husband, Diego Rivera, and modeled for his art, Cristina has not let this influence her professional life. In fact, she collaborated with Diego Rivera’s grandson.

Cristina’s understanding of Frida primarily stems from later-life research. Beyond photography, she actively participates in interviews about Frida and curatorial projects related to her great-aunt. In this interview, she discusses working under the Kahlo name, dispelling myths about Frida, and reflecting on her legacy.

Growing up, what did you learn about your namesake Cristina Kahlo and her relationship with Diego Rivera?

My father, Antonio, died when I was 13. We hadn’t discussed family history extensively. After his death, I researched Frida Kahlo and learned about her sister Cristina’s affair with Diego Rivera.

How did you feel when you read about that?

It’s complex. Frida and Diego were sexually open, and he was a charmer, always complimenting women. Cristina’s attraction to him seems understandable. Frida, too, had her own relationships; the full story remains unclear.

How did the affair affect Frida and Cristina’s relationship as sisters?

Frida and Cristina were estranged for about a year, then Frida forgave her. Of Frida’s sisters, she was closest to Cristina. Cristina accompanied Frida to New York and cared for her during illness.

How did Cristina and Diego’s relationship affect you?

I attended school with Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera, Diego Rivera’s grandson. We discussed our historical connection, becoming friends and co-founding one of Mexico City’s first photography art galleries in the 1980s.

What are your favorite Frida paintings?

Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair (1926) and Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1933), marking her emergence as a self-portrait artist. These are simpler works, preceding her iconic floral and monkey motifs.

I appreciate the symbolism in Self-Portrait on the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States (1933). While physically in the US, she yearned for Mexico. The hanging dress symbolizes her longing: her dress is there, but she’s elsewhere.

What do people get wrong about Frida?

Many recognize Frida Kahlo’s image but lack understanding of her lifelong struggles.

Yes, in fact, one of the exhibits you curated in recent years was “Kahlo Without Borders” for the MSU Broad Art Museum in Michigan, in which you photographed her medical records.

My installation featured her surgery records, doctors’ notes, and medications, humanizing Frida. She’s become a pop icon, but it’s vital to remember her humanity.

It’s a really good point you’re making about trying to show the human side of Frida, and now the TIME Studios documentary Frida is trying to do the same, by telling Frida’s story in her own words.

I admire Frida‘s use of authentic photographs, letters, and writings; Frida herself narrates, rather than relying on others’ interpretations.

How do you see Frida Kahlo’s legacy today?

My travels reveal her global recognition. She’s a Mexican ambassador, sparking curiosity about Mexico, its art, Oaxaca, and its popular culture. This is beneficial for Mexico.

What do people get wrong about Frida?

She’s become a commodity, her image appearing on countless products unrelated to her personality or beliefs. I believe she’d detest the Frida Barbie doll—expensive and inaccessible to many.

People visit my home dressed as Frida, adopting Oaxacan attire and flowers. Frida look-alike contests are common, misrepresenting her legacy.

What are those lessons?

Cultivate individuality. Express your preferences in dress and self-expression; don’t imitate others. Despite Diego Rivera’s fame, Frida maintained her unique artistic style and subject matter. The key lesson from Frida Kahlo is authenticity: be yourself.