In this art quilt series I will continue to explore the passage of time using the 25 ton Aztec Calendar and Frida Kahlo’s life journey.

This piece is inspired by the painting “The Dream”, it represents the midpoint in time of Fridas journey.  Painted during a highly turbulent period following her brief divorce from Diego Rivera. The painting reflects her lifelong relationship with physical trauma, chronic pain, and mortality. By placing a lit fuse of dynamite on the skeleton above her bed, she captures the sheer fragility of the present moment. Time here is suspended in sleep, a fragile truce between the life blooming in her veins and the death waiting above her.

On the edge of the Aztec Sun Stone are two fire serpents, their bodies literally form the frame of the calendar. In Mexican mythology, the snake is the physical boundary of time, ensuring that the universe moves in a circle rather than a straight line. For Frida, the snake was a profound symbol of regeneration and shedding. Just as a serpent must painfully peel off its old skin to grow, Frida used her art to slough off her trauma, heartbreak, and physical brokenness. Painting her pain allowed her to leave her old suffering behind.

Materials:  Commercial fabrics, photo transfer, red ribbon, felt, organza, raw edge appliqué, eye lash yarn, woven trim and free motion quilting.