Frida Kahlo Biography Book Cover

My work here is an illustrated cover of a conceptual biography of the highly influential Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. Kahlo is known for her poignant yet gruesome descriptions of life as a woman and revolutionary in 1900s Mexico. She endured war, rebellion, miscarriages, and divorce, and turned the trauma into a touchingly personal and powerful portfolio of metaphorical insights into the struggles of herself and her country. I created two versions of this book cover in Adobe Illustrator, one much more graphic [top] and the other more illustrative [bottom], although both share similar elements, color schemes, and themes. The book covers reflect the essence of Kahlo’s story through the hand-drawn heart, large red splashes of color, and unique typefaces (Optima [top] and hand-drawn [bottom]). The grit overlay alludes to the imperfect, shattered reality that Kahlo used as inspiration.