EXHIBITION
Laid Bare: Frida’s Inner World
Marking the 70th anniversary of Frida Kahlo’s passing, this exhibition focuses on the last few years of her life—celebrating the artist’s vulnerability and her resilience in translating a lifetime of chronic pain into her art-making.
The exhibition explores the rarely discussed narrative of Frida Kahlo’s complex medical history and features medical documents, photographs and contemporary artwork. Alongside this unique collection are exclusive interviews with Cristina Kahlo Alcalá—the great niece of Frida Kahlo—and interviews with present-day medical professionals, who offer a contemporary diagnosis of Frida’s health and chronic conditions. Laid Bare: Frida’s Inner World focuses on the physical challenges of Frida Kahlo’s life that she fought through in order to become the cultural icon of female empowerment and resistance she is today.
Laid Bare: Frida’s Inner World is curated and produced by ArtScience Museum with the support of Cristina Kahlo Alcalá and Circe Henestrosa.
Admission Times
(Last entry at 6pm)
Explore the Exhibition
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Frida's Fragmented Body
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Her Spinal Column
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Her Lower Limbs
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The Hospital
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Her Doctors
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Frida's Human Condition
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Exclusive Interviews
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Frida's Fragmented Body
Frida Kahlo had a complex medical history, undergoing more than 22 surgeries throughout her life. In 1913, at the age of 6, Frida contracted polio, leaving her left leg thinner and her right leg shorter. However, the majority of her severe medical issues were to begin at the age of 18. In 1925, on the way home from school, a streetcar crashed into the bus she was riding. This near-fatal accident left her with serious spinal fractures, a broken pelvis, 11 fractures in her right foot, a dislocated elbow and a serious puncture wound in her abdomen. Following the accident, Frida lived with these injuries and chronic pain until her passing on 13 July 1954.
Throughout her artistic practice, Frida embraced her broken body, finding beauty in her fragmented form.
Featured artworks
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Antonio Kahlo, Frida in Chinese Suit (after operation), c. 1946, photograph. © Cristina Kahlo
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Her Spinal Column
Frida Kahlo’s spine was severely damaged following the streetcar accident in 1925. Her spine never fully healed from the trauma of the accident. In an attempt to manage the chronic pain, Frida had to wear medical corsets for the rest of her life.
In 1946, after being bedridden for four months due to severe spinal pain, Frida agreed to undergo a spinal fusion surgery in New York. The surgery, however, provided little relief. In 1950, her condition worsened and the artist was eventually admitted into the American British Cowdray Hospital in Mexico, where she stayed for nearly a year, undergoing seven operations on her spine.
Featured artworks
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X-ray of Frida Kahlo’s Spine, 1954, 2023, lightbox installation, Courtesy of the Museo Frida Kahlo Archives. © Banco de México. Fiduciario en el Fideicomiso relative a los museos Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo.
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Nickolas Muray, Frida Kahlo (in New York), 1946. Photo by Nickolas Muray; © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.
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Her Lower Limbs
At the age of 6, Frida Kahlo contracted polio virus, resulting in her right leg being shorter and thinner. This physical disability was further complicated by the streetcar accident, in 1925, that caused 11 fractures in her right foot. As a result, Frida lived with chronic pain in her lower limbs, often having to be treated for foot ulcers that were largely due to vascular insufficiency. Eventually doctors amputated five phalanges, or bones in Frida’s right foot as well as a smaller bone, the sesamoid.
The last major recorded surgery Frida Kahlo underwent was an amputation of her right leg, on 11 August 1953—less than a year before her passing. The amputation was performed due to Frida having been diagnosed with gangrene—a medical condition that involves the death of body tissue due to a lack of blood flow or a serious bacterial infection.
Featured artworks
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Cristina Kahlo Alcalá, American British Cowdray Hospital File (Clinical Sheet), 1953, 2023, lightbox installation, Courtesy of the artist and Centro Médico ABC Historical Archive. © Cristina Kahlo
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Cristina Kahlo Alcalá, American British Cowdray Hospital File (Operation Report), 1953, 2023, lightbox installation, Courtesy of the artist and Centro Médico ABC Historical Archive. © Cristina Kahlo
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Cristina Kahlo Alcalá, American British Cowdray Hospital File (Clinical Sheet), 1953, 2023, lightbox installation, Courtesy of the artist and Centro Médico ABC Historical Archive. © Cristina Kahlo
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The Hospital
Frida Kahlo spent a large part of her adult life in hospitals following her near fatal streetcar accident in 1925, resulting in lifelong medical complications and chronic pain. Frida was regularly admitted into and discharged from medical facilities throughout her life. Notable hospitals include the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and the American British Cowdray (ABC) Hospital in Mexico City.
The ABC hospital was where Frida stayed for almost a year in 1950—undergoing seven spinal surgeries—and where in 1953 her lower right limb was amputated under the care of Dr. Juan Farill. Frida was treated at the ABC hospital until her passing in 1954.
Featured artworks
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Photographer unknown, Partial view of the operating room at American British Cowdray Hospital, c. 1940. Courtesy of Cristina Kahlo Alcalá and Centro Médico ABC Historical Archive.
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Photographer unknown, Operating room at American British Cowdray Hospital, c. 1940. Courtesy of Cristina Kahlo Alcalá and Centro Médico ABC Historical Archive.
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Her Doctors
Suffering from chronic pain and lifelong injuries, Frida Kahlo encountered many doctors, each attempting to provide a medical solution to her health complications. Having undergone over 30 medical procedures, she spent long periods in hospital, eventually developing close relationships with her doctors. She often confided in them, writing personal letters asking for their opinion on her private life—including her marriage—and even painted self-portraits dedicated to them. These doctors were both trusted medical advisors and emotional supports to Frida.Featured artworks
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Gisèle Freund, Frida Kahlo and Dr. Juan Farill with her Self-Portrait, 1951. © Gisele Freund/IMEC/fonds MCC
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Postcard sent by Frida from New York to Dr. Leo Eloesser, 2 November 1940. © Museo de Filatelia de Oaxaca.
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Frida's Human Condition
Frida once famously said, ‘I don’t paint dreams, I paint my own reality’. The damaged body she frequently painted was not imagined but a genuine expression of her lived experience.
Examining Frida’s personal relationship to her doctors, her intimate diary entries, the medical equipment she used daily and her handwritten letters to close friends, highlights the fact that Frida Kahlo experienced so much more than she expressed in her artistic practice, a true manifestation of the human condition.
The objects photographed here were used by Frida to enable her to go about her everyday life—considering her damaged body. She often sat in her wheelchair too weak to walk, she wore corsets to support her weak spine and her prosthetic leg took the place of her amputated right leg.
Featured artworks
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Katerina Jebb, Wheelchair, 2022, digital image printed on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
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Katerina Jebb, Prosthetic Leg, 2022, digital image printed on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
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Katerina Jebb, White Corset, 2022, digital image printed on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
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Exclusive Interviews
Listen to exclusive interviews with Cristina Kahlo Alcalá speaking about how she acquired these unique medical documents from the American British Cowdry Hospital where Frida Kahlo spent long periods of time. These interviews also reveal the person Frida was beyond the persona she became known for.
Laid Bare also features interviews with doctors and medical experts from Singapore, ranging from an orthopedic surgeon to an anesthetist and a clinical psychologist, who provide contemporary diagnoses of Frida’s medical conditions, discussing the physical and mental challenges she would have experienced.
Featured artworks
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A photo of Cristina Kahlo Alcalá. Photo credit: Fabián Martínez
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FRIDA FOREVER
Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon
Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon is an immersive biographical exhibition about one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. A woman of strength, rebellion and talent, the exhibition explores the incredible life of Frida Kahlo whose legacy continues to captivate, surprise, and inspire.
Exquisite Corpse VR Experience
4 May – 1 Sep
Embark on an exhilarating virtual reality adventure that exposes and explores the vibrant tapestry of Frida Kahlo's creative mind in the Exquisite Corpse VR experience.
Suitable for 11 years old and above only.
Floral Passage: A Tribute to Frida
Floral Passage: A Tribute to Frida is a commissioned work by Singapore-based Mexican artist and curator, Lidia Riveros. Her flower arch installation symbolises a warm welcome home, with vibrant colours that reflect Frida Kahlo’s lively spirit and her deep connection to Mexican heritage. Central to the installation is “Frida’s heart”, which represents her enduring influence having touched the lives of many. This installation stands as a heartfelt tribute to Frida’s enduring legacy.
Related Activities
- Opening Symposium
- Guided Tours
- Workshops
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Hope and Defiance – Frida Kahlo Opening Symposium
4 May (Sat), 2pm
Level 4, ArtScience Cinema
Ticketed Admission: S$10
Hope and Defiance – Frida Kahlo Opening Symposium draws us into the intimate universe of Frida Kahlo, exploring the life, art and enduring legacy of one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century.
Featuring Kahlo scholars, fashion curators, artists and exhibition producers, the programme discusses how Kahlo’s artistic practice, ideology and sartorial identity were shaped by her cultural heritage and experience of gender and disability. It further delves into the ideas, universal themes and emotions generated around Kahlo as an iconic figure to consider her profound impact that extends beyond the art world.Speakers include Circe Henestrosa (Fashion Curator and Head of the School of Fashion at LASALLE College of the Arts), Lidia Riveros (Curator of Mexican Art and Culture), Jordi Sellas (CEO of Layers of Reality), and more.
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Frida Kahlo: The Life of An Icon and Laid Bare: Frida’s Inner World English Guided Tour
Tue, 4pm, from 7 May
Basement 2, Exhibition Galleries
Immerse yourself in the cultural phenomena that is Frida Kahlo. Join our Education Specialist on a tour of Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon and Laid Bare: Frida’s Inner Worldto learn about the Mexican artist’s life, works and legacy.
View details -
Mixed Media Mirror: Frida-inspired Reflective Art Masterclass with DODO STUDIO
25 May
Basement 2, Rainbow Room
Ticketed admission
Explore how art can be a means for self-discovery and reflection through a drawing and mixed media collage workshop with DODO STUDIO.
Digital Discoveries: Procreate Portraits Masterclass with Stephanie Hew
1 Jun & 6 Jul
Basement 2, Rainbow Room
Ticket Admission
Learn how to use digital art app Procreate to illustrate a personalised digital portrait of yourself and create a digital art masterpiece inspired by how Mexican artist Frida Kahlo often painted herself with different striking expressions, plants, animals.