'Kahlo Without Borders' puts famed artist in context

The exhibit takes viewers on journey of Kahlo's life and how much her health problems affected her life and art.

Cristina Kahlo, the daughter of Kahlo's nephew, Antonio, spent years trying to access her great aunt's medical records. They're featured in light boxes as part of the exhibit.

Diego Rivera and his wife Frida spent part of the early 1930s in Detroit while Rivera painted his "Detroit Industry Murals" at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Cristina Kahlo, Frida's grandniece, is an artist, writer and curator herself. She lives in Mexico City. She'll be at the MSU Broad Art Museum on Thursday for a talk, "Family Photos," to discuss themes in "Kahlo Without Borders," including family archives, photography, and her own work

Juan Coronel Rivera, Diego Rivera's grandson, also will give a talk as part of "Kahlo Without Borders." He lent four original drawings by Kahlo to the exhibit, including one of her accident, one of her in a hospital bed and a self-portrait. Most are pencil drawings.

One of the original drawings on loan from Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera's collection is called "The Accident." Drawn in 1926, the pencil on paper drawing depicts the accident that changed the course of Frida's life.

This 1940 photo -- not included in the exhibition -- shows KKahlo getting medical treatment. Provided by Sotheby's, itsshows Kahlo with her head suspended by straps. The image is part of a collection of photographs by Nicholas Muray up that was up for auction in 2019.

Frida Kahlo works in 1932 on “Self-Portrait on the Borderline between Mexico and the United States,” painted in Detroit.