What does the Tehuana costume symbolize in The Two Fridas?

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Frida Kahlo stands at an easel, holding a paintbrush and working on a portrait of a woman in a white dress, looking toward the camera. — Frida Kahlo Mexican artist Frida Kahlo painting a portrait of Jean Wight in 1931; the work depicts the wife of artist Clifford Wight, who assisted Diego Rivera, Kahlo's husband, when he was painting a number of murals throughout the United States.

In The Two Fridas, the Tehuana costume worn by the figure on the right serves as a tribute to Frida Kahlo’s Indigenous heritage, reflecting her mother’s Mexican, Spanish, and Native American descent.1

Beyond this cultural homage, the attire carries specific symbolic weight regarding the artist's personal life and her relationship with Diego Rivera. Kahlo indicated that the Frida depicted in the Tehuana ensemble—whose heart remains healthy and intact—represents the version of herself that Rivera loved. This contrasts with the figure on the left, who wears a European-style wedding dress and represents the Frida whom Rivera rejected.1

By adopting the Tehuana style, Kahlo also aligned herself with Indigenismo, a post-Mexican Revolution ideology that championed the social and political significance of Mexico’s Indigenous population. Over time, these vibrant, artisanal outfits became a defining element of Kahlo’s public identity.1