Casa Kahlo

The first publication of Casa Kahlo, Frida Kahlo’s private Mexico City family home and personal sanctuary, and its collections of her art, clothing, jewelry, and treasured keepsakes, the house has been opened to visitors for the first time in nearly 100 years. Curated and written by her great-nieces, who lived in the house throughout their lives, this book offers an unparalleled glimpse into Frida Kahlo, opening a new perspective into this iconic artist’s family home and refuge. Casa Kahlo was more than a second home—it was a place where Frida could truly be herself away from the house she shared with her husband, the artist Diego Rivera. At Casa Kahlo—surrounded by her artistic family and the vibrant Indigenous culture she immersed herself in—she spent time with her closest confidantes (her sisters), her friends, and her lovers. The house also served as an additional studio space for Kahlo where she taught art classes to a legion of loyal students who referred to themselves as Los Fridos. Remarkably, Casa Kahlo has been occupied by Frida’s family since they bought the house in 1930. Meticulously documenting the interiors, this book features a rich array of personal items and never-before-published letters and postcards to her sisters, her mother, and her most beloved niece Isolda. Hundreds of personal items offer an intimate view into her artistic environment and personal life: from her early drawings and paintings (including the first painting she showed Rivera at eighteen years old) to later drawings; her distinctive jewelry and clothing; key documents, including her birth and marriage certificates; artworks; and keepsakes ranging from dolls to her taxidermy butterfly collection. Written by her closest family members, the book presents a very fresh and deeply personal perspective on the artist’s life, enriched by their unique connection to her legacy.