During Milan’s Art Week and Design Week 2026 (April 15-24), Artcurial Italy is hosting the photographic exhibition titled Frida Kahlo & Leo Matiz. One Gaze, Two Souls. Curated by Paola Colombari and in partnership with the Leo Matiz Foundation (Mexico City), the exhibition delves into the sensitive bond and affinity between the Colombian photographer and the iconic Mexican artist.
Their encounters took place between 1940 and 1948 in Coyoacán, Mexico City, the neighborhood where Kahlo had lived since childhood. Matiz photographed her spontaneously and intensely, capturing her essence beyond her physical and personal suffering. These are intimate portraits of a friend during the photographer’s artistic maturity, revealing his admiration for her as an individual and her stature as an artist.
The photographs appear devoid of posing, with Leo Matiz capturing glimpses of Kahlo’s daily life and hinting at her strong personality in every shot. According to a press release from Artcurial, “These are not mere external portraits, but an encounter between two sensibilities. Frida Kahlo’s painting and Matiz’s photography represent two paths of exploring identity, pain, resilience, and intimacy. It is Leo Matiz’s discreet gaze, observing Frida Kahlo without intrusion, that allows her to ‘exist’ before the lens.”
The exhibition’s title, One Gaze, Two Souls, reflects its dual focus. On one hand, it highlights Frida Kahlo, who transformed pain and the body into elements of her artistic identity through her painting. On the other, it showcases Leo Matiz’s photography, which seeks genuine humanity beyond the myth. Their artistic spirits converge once again in Milan at Artcurial.
This homage coincides with two significant exhibitions dedicated to Frida Kahlo in 2026: Frida and Diego: The Last Dream at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (March 21 – September 12, 2026) and Frida: The Creation of an Icon at the Tate Modern in London (June 25, 2026 – January 4, 2027). Additionally, a selection of Leo Matiz’s photographs will also be displayed at MoMA in New York during this period.
