In Part 1 of 2 episodes on design, decoloniality and culturally safe practices, Kadambari Raghukumar speaks to Dr Diana Albarran Gonzalez on Mexican design and textiles that became trendy in recent years, thanks to Fridamania.

The hyper-commercialization of Frida Kahlo's image has seen it being indiscriminately deployed in the form of those very controversial Barbies a few years ago, to socks, stationary, makeup, you name it - 'Fridamania' world over has been framed in this cult-like phenomenon.

While Fridamania took Kahlo's story and style to the world, it's also been responsible for a disassociation from hugely significant aspects of Kahlo's identity beyond just her personal style.

In this Voices episode, Mexico-born Dr Diana Albarran Gonzalez of Elam School of Art, shares her views on Fridamania, growing up in Mexico, culturally respectful practices for designers - and her practice of decolonizing design.

We need to understand design is political. It's more comfortable if you're in power, to talk about the 'universality of design'.

Dr Diana Albarran Gonzalez is a lecturer at Elam school of Art- and indigenous Mexican design and textiles are her thing.

Diana recently gave a talk at at a sold-out lecture series at Auckland Gallery's Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition that runs until January 2023. She sees the show as an opportunity for audiences to look at the symbolism and significance of Frida Kahlo beyond her pop icon, revolutionary chic status that's caused 'Fridamania' world over.

Diana's an advocate for the recognition of the contribution of unacknowledged indigenous weavers and artisans from Mexico and Guatemala - without whom the textiles and garments that Frida Kahlo famously wore, would never exist.

Through her talk, Diana shed light on the indigenous significance of the embroidered Huapils that Kahlo wore - the square blouses, her braids and the indigenous beliefs behind them, the Tehuana dresses, the rebozos - the square shawls, textiles she wore and even some motifs in her paintings.

"The hierarchies between art, design and craft that puts art above everyone.. so fine arts, it's European, and if it's indigenous from other countries - folk art? So who's making these these decisions, who's defining what is art?"

Diana's PhD was on the decolonizing of design, and even further, she speaks in this episode of "decoloniality" - which is in effect, a confrontation of and delinking from Eurocentrism, and an untangling, especially when it comes to knowledge systems, taught through the western lens of 'modernity'.

Listen to the full story…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details