This past August I embarked on a rather impromptu mother-daughter holiday to Mexico City. And while I would consider myself more of my father’s daughter, I was pleasantly surprised by the success of our impulsive trip and how much closer we became in the span of a long-weekend. The laughs had, friendships made and the remarkable city will forever be etched into my mind. In addition to the fantastic shopping and our mutual appreciation for chips and guac, the capital city and its population are marked by an extremely rich, emotional and complex history that must also be recognized.
A Cursory Background on Mexico City
Mexico City is built on thousands of years of indigenous civilization that survived Spanish colonization and thus, the modern Mexican identity exists as a hybrid between two cultures. In the city centre alone, you may find El Zócalo (the main square), Templo Mayor (the remnants of Aztec temples), Catedral Metropolitana (Catholic Church built from Aztec Temples) and even the Palacio Nacional (home of President Claudia Sheinbaum). A tangible timeline of Mexico’s history is visible and accessible within walking distance of one another. It is therefore no surprise that the country has faced immense turmoil and internal conflicts since they earned independence from the Spanish in 1821. The Mexican people were left with acculturated traits and customs that have rendered their search for identity quite complex. Our tour guide Omar —a university student studying prehistoric Mexico— explained that this struggle in navigating “What it means to be Mexican” is an ongoing battle.
Art and Identity:
Throughout the twentieth century, artists were deeply galvanized by these same topics and thus embarked on creating introspective, revolutionary and modern expressions of these common plights. Thus, the grounds for an introspective, explorative and revolutionary urban landscape unfolded. The results of such a history led us to some of the most incredible examples of modern art that defied the avant-garde, including works by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. It was Mexican artists and their efforts to reexamine prehistoric Mexico that laid the foundation for indigenous representation in Central and Latin America.
Frida Kahlo : The Original thought Daughter
I first discovered Kahlo when reading the “Who Was” book series in the second grade; aka the funky lady with the unibrow and monkey in tote. And while I could waffle a bit more on Mexican history, I will instead share my favorite piece by her: My Grandparents, My Parents and Me (1936). I will start by sharing that accounts by Kahlo reveal a complex relationship with her mother wherein they bickered often, yet also supported one another’s complications and showed love to one another in a somewhat atypical fashion.
In this piece specifically, Kahlo reimagines a traditional family tree structure. She includes her parents, both sets of grandparents, while simultaneously portraying herself as a zygote, fetus and toddler. She mounts her maternal grandparents atop a Mexican mountainscape, while her paternal set rests on the Atlantic Ocean to represent their German heritage. The child-version of her is connected to each pair by red rope, representative of her bloodline. Further, her mother is dressed in her wedding dress, representative of the traditions and beauty standards that Kahlo grew up under. This is ultimately reflective of their complicated relationship, which appears as a major theme across much of Kahlo’s work. This colorful, abstract piece criticizes the rise of xenophobia, classicism and racial divide that existed in the interwar period, while also unveiling themes of familial expectations, specifically between mother and daughter.
While created nearly a hundred years ago and as a testament against dire political paradigms, this piece continues to stand as an emblem of identity and aims to tackle complicated questions about identity in the twenty-first century. It addresses the same frustrations that many young women face, whether it be in the relationship between you and your own mother, the experience of international students in the United Kingdom or even in the mundane challenges that come with femininity, each and every young woman can locate themselves somewhere within the esoteric messaging that Kahlo conceived in the mind and translated onto canvas.
And so, while Mexico has beautiful beaches, exquisite food and remarkable nature, I could not recommend an art focused trip to the capital (or maybe both!). Further, seeing this striking work of art whilst on a mother daughter trip spoke to the importance of developing and prioritizing our relationship. She and I now locate Kahlo’s work as a symbol in our relationship not just by blood, but as two friends getting to know each other as adults! Producing art as a means of expression works in tandem with observing other artists’ works as a means of introspection; art offers a reciprocal relationship.
So whether you convince your mom to take this same sidequest with you, visit a traveling exhibit more locally in London, or even read more about the artist in novels such as The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, the resonant work of an artist may be the key to a better relationship with a parent, friend or even yourself.