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- Mara Romeo Kahlo interviewed by Intelligent Collector about "Casa Kahlo" book published Apr 21
Mara Romeo Kahlo interviewed by Intelligent Collector about "Casa Kahlo" book published Apr 21
06 May 2026
"Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo’s Private Home and Sanctuary" was released by Rizzoli and written by the artist’s grandniece, Mara Romeo Kahlo, and her daughters, Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo.
In 1890 Wilhelm Kühlo, a young German immigrant who came to Mexico, changed his name to Guillermo Kahlo. Fourteen years later, he and his wife, Matilde, built a cobalt-colored home in Mexico City's historic Coyoacán neighborhood, where they would raise their four daughters. Artist Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera used the house, now renowned as Casa Azul, as a living and working space. It opened as Museo Frida Kahlo in 1958, four years after Frida passed away at the age of 47.
For the first time in almost a century, the family's true private haven, hidden behind a sienna-colored facade next to Casa Azul, has been meticulously restored and made public as Museo Casa Kahlo, a celebration of the entire family as well as their most well-known relative.
"Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo's Private Home and Sanctuary", recently published by Rizzoli and written by the artist's grandniece, Mara Romeo Kahlo, and her daughters, Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo, is about this private haven, which was bought by Frida's parents in 1930 and lived by generations of the Kahlo family until 2022.
According to Mara Romeo Kahlo, "Casa Azul was very much a "public" house, [while] Casa Kahlo was [Frida's] spiritual home." Through a meticulously preserved collection of letters, ornamental items, and personal mementos, Casa Kahlo depicts Frida as a family-oriented daughter, sister, and aunt. These items are exquisitely photographed and displayed alongside uncommon historical photos.
The artist's grandniece has a renewed appreciation for the resilience of the Kahlo clan's generations after starting this arduous journey.
“By telling our family story, I understand with more clarity where I come from,” explains Romeo Kahlo, who was born just a year before Frida’s death. “I realize I come from a lineage of very strong women and of deeply rooted values. I feel very proud of being their direct descendant.”
“The spirit of the Kahlo lineage is in our blood, and we feel compelled to honor and share it,” adds co-author Hentschel Romeo.
In the interview by Andrew Nodell, Romeo Kahlo discusses with Intelligent Collector the importance of preserving their broader family legacy, surprising discoveries made during restoration work, and lessons she’s gleaned from her “Tía Frida.”
IC: What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
MRK: That greatness comes from support and from lifting one another. For Frida, the role her family played in her life was a catalyst for her to become who she is today. Readers can get a glimpse of Frida’s origin story and gain insight into another layer of her legacy.
Read the complete interview at the link below.
