By Aaradhana Natarajan Vanna Vinci does justice to the fantastic imagery and vibrant earthiness of Frida Kahlo’s art in both the text and the visuals of her 2017 graphic novel Frida: The Story of Her Life. The pages hold a blend of recollections, history and conjecture that form a syncretic portrait of an artist most known for her heavily symbolic self-portraiture. The text is both biography and exposition for the lush art. Vinci imbues her subject with the rich, often mordant and morbid sensibility Kahlo* is known for. I thought it was refreshing how, even as a child, Vinci’s… Read More
Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life
by Martina Follador Frida Kahlo was born in Coyocán, Mexico, the 6th of July 1907. We know Frida as an artist and lots of us already know some of her biography, but the most interesting part of her is her interiority. As she has always said, she draws herself because she’s the thing she knows the most, and what comes out is a beautiful world, made of feelings, emotions and hidden thoughts. She paints her daily reality. Her past was overwhelmed by sufferance and painting was the only thing she could do when obliged to stay in bed. She… Read More
The Spiral Cage
Originally published in 1990, this is a bit of a gem. Al Davison was born with spina bifida. his parents were told he wouldn’t live. Then, when he did, they were told that he would never walk. He taught himself to walk aged five and attended a “normal” school, where he was called “spaka” by his classmates. Al became an artist and illustrator. Although he can walk on his “scarecrow” legs, he still suffers considerably. He endured countless operations as a child and bouts of ME as an adult. He took up karate, which came in handy on several occasions… Read More