Today ¡Frida Icónica! takes over Carnaby Street, transforming the cultural hub into a vivid celebration of one of the art world’s most enduring and iconic figures, in conjunction with Tate Modern’s much anticipated exhibition, Frida: The Making of an Icon.
Traditional papel picado, designed by artist Alejandra Ballesteros, will fly above passers-by on the street, crowned by an anamorphic mural composed from four portraits by Frida Kahlo and contemporary artists. The installation brings Frida Kahlo’s extraordinary world of colour, queer identity and Mexican heritage to the heart of Soho – and it’s available for all to enjoy.
The beautifully designed 3.25m x 2.5m anamorphic mural comes together to form Frida’s iconic profile when viewed head on. The papel picado, or ‘pierced paper’, a staple of Mexican folk art, runs the full length of Carnaby Street, featuring motifs and themes drawn from Frida Kahlo’s life and work. The installation will transform when lit up from day to night through one of London’s most famous thoroughfares.
Carnaby Street and Soho have long been a stage for radical creativity, self-expression and cultural reinvention. The area boasts a mix of independent galleries, design studios and concept stores, so it is fitting that a tribute to Frida Kahlo, an artist who lived and worked unapologetically, finds a home here.
¡Frida Icónica! launches in collaboration with Tate Modern’s Frida: The Making of an Icon, which also opens today and runs until 3 January 2027. The exhibition brings together over 30 works by Kahlo, presented alongside modern and contemporary artists from across the globe who have drawn influence from her aesthetic, identity and biography, exploring her journey from a little-known Mexican painter to a worldwide cultural phenomenon.
The Carnaby Street installation extends the celebration out of the gallery and into the city. ¡Frida Icónica! will remain in place until 31 August offering a striking and joyful public art experience to everyone who walks through Soho this summer.
Catherine Riccomini, Director of Marketing and Communications at Shaftesbury Capital, said: “Welcoming ¡Frida Icónica! to Carnaby Street this summer is about creating a shared cultural experience for London that makes Soho and Carnaby Street unlike anywhere else in the city. It has been brilliant to collaborate with Tate Modern, bringing together two of London’s most celebrated cultural destinations to share Frida Kahlo’s life, art and legacy in the heart of the city. By bringing world-class culture into a vibrant public space, we hope to make art more accessible and part of the everyday experience of Londoners and visitors alike. ¡Frida Icónica! is a tribute to Frida Kahlo’s spirit and the richness of Mexican artistry and heritage and we hope it inspires everyone who encounters it.”
Catherine Wood, Interim Director of Tate Modern, said: “Tate exists to champion artists, and we passionately believe that everyone should have the right to access art for free. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Carnaby Street to help bring the remarkable work of Frida Kahlo into the creative heart of London, offering even more people the opportunity to discover her extraordinary journey from a little-known Mexican painter to a worldwide cultural phenomenon.”