Frida Kahlo

I believe a hero is not a person who fights in a war or dies in a war. A hero can be any normal person like you! Such is Frida Kahlo, she was an everyday person like you and me. Frida was a very famous artist that everyone in Mexico knew and still is known today.

Frida was born on July 6, 1907 in a city called Coyoacan. She was born in a place called the “Casa Azul” meaning “Blue House” which is now a museum that showcases her early life. At age six, Frida had Polio which left her right leg thinner than the other and she hid it by wearing long colorful skirts. She also suffered with Spina Bifida, a disease that affected both her spinal and leg development.

(wiki.com)

Frida Kahlo lived to paint. She painted amazing pieces of art! Her physical handicaps were always a difficulty to her. When she was 18, the bus she rode on, crashed into a trolley which gave her some serious injuries. These included a broken spinal column, a broken collar bone, broken ribs, eleven fractures on her right leg, a crushed and dislocated foot and a dislocated shoulder. She had to go through 30 surgeries!

“I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.” While she was in the hospital she had a full body cast. One day, she decided to draw on it and discovered that she was very talented at sketching and she didn’t want to stop. From that day on, Frida never stopped and that was how she started her career as an artist.

(wiki.com)

Nine months passed and Frida was finally released from the hospital. She put her full attention into her art. One day she asked advice from Diego Rivera, a famous muralist whose work she admired. He saw her talent and passion for art and he actually admired her. In 1929, the two got married.

One of the reasons why I choose Frida Kahlo as my hero was because no matter how many times she got hurt or how many times she had a disease or an injury, she wasn’t afraid of a setback. Frida was brave, strong and never let herself down. She was the true definition of perseverence!

“The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.” Frida was always painting or drawing or immersing herself in art. Some of Frida’s art pieces include, Frida and Diego Rivera, and The Two Fridas.

Frida was a very happy person that loved art. Unfortunately, as she got older she became very ill and the doctors had to amputate her right leg from the knee down. Days before Frida died she said, “I hope the exit is joyful--and I never have to return.” Frida died July 13, 1954.

Frida was not just a typical artist, she was an artist that people could look up to. She was the kind of person that people could always count on for anything. She was wise and would share her thoughts with others. Everyone listened, not just because she was famous, but because everyone knew that she would always have the right thing to say. Frida was a brave artist that overcame many obstacles and challenges throughout her life. She was just happy that she could paint. This is why Frida Kahlo will always be MY HERO!