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Off the Wall Gallery is proud to welcome Ricardo Lowenberg for a new show of work inspired by the legacy of Frida Kahlo.

“I was always strongly influenced by Frida Kahlo’s use of colors and shapes. From childhood, I knew about Frida, her artworks, diseases and eccentricities. The Kahlo family and my grandparents, from my mother side, were neighbors at Coyoacan, México.

My curiosity for knowing more about her gradually grew, as I saw her paintings frightening and fascinating at the same time. My grandmother said that both their homes were identical, built in the same years, perhaps by the same person. When we were children, our mother would bring us to see the blue house, nostalgic of her own. Later, I began to understand better her art and my admiration for “Frida” became stronger. I studied various biographies comparing them with what my mother or grandmother had told me and discovered many truths, some lies, and much fantasy. I was always attracted by strong colors of great luminosity and definition, by the human figure, especially the eyes, the window to the soul. For the tribute I painted a strong and severe Frida with the sweetest eyes I was able to depict. My grandmother used to say: “ A very different girl, strong as a rock with a gaze sweet as bread.” I also painted my mother as Frida, with small chameleons that symbolize a constant search in my painting, always changing, evolving to newer things, subjects or media.

My inspiration comes from the things and people I love, my surroundings, colors and textures, thoughts and life experiences, nothing can escape my brush, all is beautiful to me.

I painted “Self-portrait as Frida” during a challenging time in my life. Although it was entertaining and started as experimentation, it ended up being great therapy for me. After this painting, I reinforced my self-acceptance, self-compassion, and my thinking, changing what was in my head, positively putting it all, to move ahead, and, so it was!”