A new museum dedicated to renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has opened its doors in Mexico City, offering visitors an intimate look at the artist's family life and formative years. The Museo Casa Kahlo, which opened on September 27, is housed in the historic Kahlo family home and features the welcoming message: "This museum was home to the Kahlo family for four generations; we open it to share our legacy." The museum is located just a five-minute walk from the famous Casa Azul in Mexico City's Coyoacán neighborhood, which serves as Kahlo's central pilgrimage site.
The museum occupies the Kahlo family's historic residence, which was acquired in 1930 and later owned by Frida's younger sister, Cristina, who passed it down to her descendants. According to Mara de Anda Romeo, Frida's great-granddaughter, "The museum resulted from over ten years of family efforts." The institution's collection comes from the archive of Isolda Kahlo, Cristina's daughter, who kept these materials private for years before cataloging them. "Isolda also kept many everyday objects—even some faucets—that were reinstated," De Anda explains.
The museum's narrative focuses heavily on Frida's family relationships, combining traditional displays with private domestic spaces and audiovisual elements. In the opening rooms, visitors encounter the influence of Frida's father, Guillermo, who inspired his daughter from an early age through his architectural photography of Mexico and an immersive recreation of his darkroom. However, most spaces emphasize Frida's connections to the women in her family, particularly through letters that form the archive's main holdings.
"We come from an empowered and tight feminine lineage," De Anda notes, explaining how these letters have been transformed into audio recordings, projections, and wallpaper throughout the museum. In Cristina's bedroom, visitors can see a 1946 letter that Frida wrote after surgery displayed on the wall, while excerpts from other correspondence are projected in the dining room. The museum also features a few artworks, including sketches and "Tray of Poppies," painted during Frida's youth, scattered throughout the various rooms alongside personal objects, pre-Hispanic bead necklaces, and traditional dresses that reflect Frida's world.
The Museo Casa Kahlo, nicknamed "Casa Roja" and called "the family's heart" by the Kahlo family, inevitably draws comparisons to Casa Azul, which is much larger in both scale and scope. However, the family emphasizes that this museum offers a different perspective. "Casa Azul is the artist, and here is Frida in flesh and bone who cried and laughed," said Mara Romeo Kahlo, Cristina's granddaughter, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 25. She lived in the house until 2023.
Despite their different focuses, shared motifs emerge between the two houses, particularly evident in their kitchens. Like Casa Azul, Casa Roja features bird-themed wall decorations, with clay-outlined doves holding ribbons—a motif repeated in furniture pieces and pottery dishes. This decoration reflects Frida's well-known love of birds, a theme that frequently appears in her artwork.
The kitchen at Museo Casa Kahlo, like the house's other spaces, has been carefully restored to its original appearance. It features Frida's only known mixed-media mural work from around 1949, depicting flowering fruit trees and small colorful birds on a pale pink background. "Years ago, Isolda had covered part of the mural in white paint, but my mother remembered it was there and guided the restorers to uncover it in 2024," De Anda reveals. The restoration also revealed the ribbon's phrase, "El mesón de los gurriones"—a humorous pun on "gorrones" (freeloaders) and "gorriones" (sparrows)—referring to the constant presence of Frida's students, known as "the Fridos." De Anda adds that a detailed study of the mural is planned.
One of the museum's most compelling features is the basement, accessible via a steep staircase, where Frida once retreated to paint and write. This hidden space displays framed family letters that reveal Frida's affectionate and tender side. One particularly touching 1945 letter reads: "Isolda, my dear, this is a gift from your aunt Fisita, who adores you, in recognition of your good behavior and the path you are beginning." An adjacent room recreates a studio space complete with ex-votos (devotional images), including one created by Frida herself.
Architect David Rockwell, who designed this basement space and other areas including the courtyard, describes it as the heart of the museum experience: "Her hidden basement is the heart of the experience: a candlelit space where Frida's creative energy feels tangible." Mexican architect Mariana Doet Zepeda Orozco oversaw the overall renovations of the historic property.
For the Kahlo family, the Museo Casa Kahlo extends beyond just a museum space to connect with the recently established New York-based nonprofit Fundación Kahlo, which supports the museum and champions Latin American art. "This is part of the family's fight to tell a story that was denied to them," explains Adán García Fajardo, the Museo Casa Kahlo's director. The Kahlo family has long contested the control of the artist's image by the Frida Kahlo Corporation, which holds international rights to her work and likeness.
While the museum may be uneven in some aspects, it successfully conveys a universal truth about the importance of family bonds, especially during times of hardship. This focus on family relationships and personal connections serves to humanize Frida's mythical figure, offering visitors a more intimate and personal understanding of one of Mexico's most celebrated artists beyond her public persona and famous works.
