Who was Frida Kahlo?
Frida Kahlo is considered to have been one of Mexico’s greatest artists. Her paintings convey a strong influence and pride of Mexican folk culture, using bright colors and dramatic symbolism.
Early Life and Hardship
Frida Kahlo was born in Coyoacan, Mexico on July 6, 1907. Kahol lived a hard life; experiencing tramas that shaped her into the artist that she would become.
She contracted polio as a child, which caused her to have poor health throughout her life. While bed ridden, she created imaginary friends that she would later bring to life in paintings.
The Two Fridas
Hopes of Being a Doctor
Kahlo dreamed of being a doctor and had worked hard to gain admissions into the National Preparatory School in Mexico City. She had been going to school for about a year when, in 1925, tragedy struck in the form of a bus accident that would leave her in great pain for the rest of her life, forcing her to give up her dream of being a doctor
Kahlo’s Mother built this special easel so she could paint while recovering from her near fatal accident.
Turning to Art
Art had always been a big part of Frida Kahlo’s life, but after the accident, she found herself painting more and more. Out of her 143 paintings, 55 were forms of self portraits.
Self-portrait in a Velvet Dress, 1926
Left – Self portrait with Monkeys, 1943
Right – Self portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940
Retrato De Mariana Morillo Safa, 1944
Viva la Vida, Watermelons
She finished this painting 1954 just before her death.
In 1929, she married fellow artist Diego Rivera, but because of the bus accident, she would never be able to have children, something that would greatly affect her and come across in her art work. One of her last medical issues centered on her right leg having to be amputated below the knee due to a gangrene infection. On July 13, 1954, at the age of 47, Frida Kahlo died, leaving behind a legacy of overcoming and the importance of embracing who you are, by living life to the fullest any way you can.
If you enjoyed this glimpse into Frida Kahlo’s life and would like to learn more, join us for Art Exploration Teen Edition on March 17th at 2pm and get to follow along with a fun art project inspired by Kahlo’s art.
Resources
If you want to know more about Frida Kahlo, explore these fun titles:
Who was Frida Kahlo? by Sarah Fabiny
Frida Kahlo: artist and activist by Matt Doeden
What would she do? : 25 true stories of trailblazing rebel women by Kay Woodward
