As visitors walk through this elaborate and brightly-coloured oasis, centred within the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, they can explore Frida’s appreciation and admiration of the natural world that heavily influenced many of her works and contributed to her distinctive appearance.

Pathways lined with tropical foliage, fruit trees, succulents and cacti, indigenous to her country, rising up out of thick terracotta pots, bring to life the gardens she lovingly tended by hand in Mexico. A recreation of the dazzling cobalt-blue walls of Casa Azul, painted by Rivera, has the sign “Frida y Diego vivieron, en esta casa, 1929-1954″ (“Frida and Diego lived in this house, 1929- 1954”).

“When we learned about Kahlo as a truly sophisticated gardener, who also happened to be a great artist and cultural icon, we were blown away,” said Todd Forrest, vice president of the botanical garden’s horticulture and living collections.

A dozen of the iconic fernale artist’s botanical themed works are on display, including the “Self-Portrait Inside a Sunflower”, “Self-Portrait With Thorn Necklace”, and “Two Nudes in a Forest” interspersed with many photographs of Frida and Diego’s life and elements from her studio.

The multidisciplinary event is sponsored by fashion designer Carolina Herrera, who revealed “Frida Kahlo has been a source of inspiration for me; her vibrant use of colour, sense of proportion and her whimsical style are her own. It is fantastic to welcome her exquisite paintings to the Botanical Garden”.

Frida’s signature style often paid homage to her deep connection to Mexico, adorning herself with rich colours, embroidery and fabrics representative of her country. When she died, Diego Riviera locked up her clothes, and ordered the room to remain locked for 15 years. The room in fact stayed shut for 50 years, long after Casa Azul had been turned into a museum documenting Frida’s life.

The room was reopened in 2004 by the museum and her clothes and accessories were photographed by renowned Japanese photographer Ishiuchi Miyako.

Born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderén in 1907, Kahlo was one of Mexico’s greatest artists, a feminist icon, and a subject of global fascination that still exists today. An affliction of polio when she was a child and a terrible motor accident when she was just 18 left her with lifelong pain, dramatically changing the course of her life from medical student to artist.

She spent much of her life plagued with chronic pain and many of her self-portraits relate to this physical pain, as well as her passionate and tumultuous relationship with Rivera. Her work is shaped by her personal emotions and experiences, as well as her love of the natural world,

The event is also a celebration of Mexican culture with live music, Mexican cocktails, cooking lessons and dance events scheduled to run throughout the summer.