Frida Kahlo Infiltrates The Snapchat Generation With A New Set Of Emoji

Of the 143 paintings that Frida Kahlo produced in her lifetime, 55 are self-portraits. They show the radical Mexican artist experiencing a vertiginous rollercoaster of emotions: anguish, resilience, heartache, self-doubt, and passion. They’re also the inspiration behind a new set of 160 emoji—dubbed FridaMoji — that hit the App Store.

More info: App Store, Instagram (h/t: dazeddigital, artsy)

“Frida was just perfect for the project,” says Sam Cantor, the Los Angeles-based gallerist and graphic designer behind FridaMoji. “She conveyed her emotions so honestly and openly in her work. What better artist to translate into emoji, which we use to express emotion today?”

The gallerist engaged with the Frida Kahlo Corporation to keep the vision informed and true to the artist. What was important, he related, was creating images that go beyond identifying Kahlo by her unibrow and floral headwear. Cantor travelled to Mexico City to study some of her paintings in real life, including Las Dos Fridas (1939), her double portrait created after her relationship ended with Diego Rivera.

“The intensity of the emotions on their faces, and how many ways they could be read or stretched to tell different stories, really struck me,” he said. “That was a turning point.”