Perhaps what moves us when we look at self-portraiture is its inherent tension. It feels intimate, and yet we are aware that the composition has been carefully engineered for public consumption. If eyes are the window to the soul, then what can we learn from a self-portrait? Take Frida Kahlo, perhaps the world’s most iconic self-portraitist. Much of her enduring legacy, as explored in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum’s summer exhibition, Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up, remains centered around the vivid visual power of her person as told through her self-portraits. What do we uncover of Kahlo through them? “In Frida’s case, she was not thinking of becoming famous when This story is from Kinfolk Issue Twenty-Eight Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 19 Going Incognito We all secretly wonder what mischief we’d make if invisible: When our identity is hidden, everything seems possible. Arts & Culture Issue 19 The Best Policy Sometimes we talk to each other without feeling heard. Honesty—a most intimate interaction—can be just as thrilling as its more devious inverse. Arts & Culture Issue 19 A Sense of Suspense With unhinged imaginations and mountains of cliff-hangers, the filmmakers behind the sci-fi podcast Limetown have all the makings of a scary story. Arts & Culture Issue 19 Like Clockwork In this new column about time, we learn how slipping off our watches makes us feel like deadline-damning renegades. Arts & Culture Music Issue 19 On a Grander Scale Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna now may live on the opposite side of the globe, but she’s determined to evolve while staying true to her roots. Arts & Culture Issue 19 Neighborhood: Fire Stations The firefighting profession has evolved over time from Ancient Rome’s rudimentary bucket brigades to today’s sleek life-saving departments.
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