Sacha Walters, Staff Reporter

Ambassador Leonora Rueda and Dr David Boxer of the National Gallery begin at the top by reading the synopsis about the artists, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, at photographic exhibition on their lives.

Mexican artists, Frida Kahlo's and Diego Rivera's lives were made from splashes of colour.

Rivera presented art influenced by the Mexican social revolution; Kahlo's was impacted by her physical ailments (a childhood affliction with polio left her with a shrivelled leg, her spine and various critical bones were fractured in a bus accident, which restricted her to a body cast for a month at a time). Their relationship was plagued with infidelity, they married twice and their tumultuous world was splashed on their canvas of choice.

Kahlo, a painter, and Rivera a muralist, not only shared a passion for art, but their passion for each other.

The couple is being celebrated through an exhibition of 35 photographs of them at different stages of their lives at Bolivar Gallery on 1D Grove Road.

life and work

"Their spirit transcended their art," said Mexican Ambassador Leonora Rueda at the official opening last week Thursday. It's aimed at exposing Jamaicans to the artistes, their lives and work.

The film, Frida, starring Selma Hayek was shown before the official opening.

"Mexico has a rich history of art ... which we here in Jamaica, have little knowledge about," said David Boxer of the National Gallery of Jamaica, who also spoke at the opening. He said he hoped this would eventually lead to a comprehensive exhibition on Mexican pieces in the national gallery.

The exhibition is open to the public for a month.

Guests included Ambassador Filomena Navarro, Ambassador Alexandre Gueriros, Aubyn and Tamara Hill, Itzel Gonzalez, Nicola Crosswell Mairamong others.

Mexican Ambassador Leonora Rueda (left) chats with art enthusiast Nicola Crosswell-Mair at the opening of the photographic exhibition, 'Complicities Diego and Frida'.- photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Mexican Ambassador Leonora Rueda makes her presentation on the artistes, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, while owner of Bolivar Gallery, Hugh Dunphy looks on.

Businessman Aubyn Hill chats with Ambassador Leonora Rueda (centre) and the beautiful Itzel Gonzalez at the official opening of 'Complicities Diego and Frida', a photographic exhibition at Bolivar Gallery.