Frida Kahlo

“[She was] acid and tender, hard as steel and delicate and fine as a butterfly’s wing, lovable as a beautiful smile, and as profound and cruel as the bitterness of life.” As described by her husband-- a renowned artist himself--, Frida Kahlo was a woman woven of intricacies and contradictions. Hot pink, traditional, Mexican attire enveloped her in a sequined femininity while her trademark mustache and unibrow challenged the institutions she embraced in her womanhood. A bisexual, communist painter, Frida did everything but fit in. The world was hers to shape, and she would mold it to match her art-- a surrealist blur of color and death and love and self. She was an activist-- for her people, for her herself, for her politics, for women. She was an artist-- bold, unapologetic, and true. In the midst of her whirlwind life, she was also often incredibly ill. Suffering from polio as a child and gangrene as an adult, she was often bedridden. For a woman devoted to shooting herself into the stars, working her whole life to glimmer alongside James Dean and Audrey Hepburn, her many ailments were a weight she forced herself to bear, arriving at exhibits and rallies via ambulance to greet paparazzi with a smile. The bravery and strength Kahlo displayed throughout her life make her an inspiration to many. Her dedication to her beliefs, her incredible perseverance through her many injuries and illnesses, and her bold, unapologetic nature-- seen in her art, her personality, and her life as a whole-- makes her a true hero in her own right.

Collage of and inspired by KahloMarquez, Ruben G. "Happy Birthday Frida"Being a woman in the mid to early 20th century was not easy. Nor was being a Mexican. Or a political activist fighting for anything but true-blue patriotism. Yet Frida Kahlo was all of these and more. She thrived as a woman-- not just a daughter or wife. She spent her early life excelling in academia and pushing for further education, something women in first-world countries were just now beginning to attain in commonplace, nonetheless in tumultuous revolutionary Mexico. Although her further education was delayed and eventually thwarted by serious health complications, Frida continued to live a full and rich life. Immersing herself in art and culture, Frida found herself working and traveling across the world, leaving her beloved "Casa Azul" (blue house) for a whirlwind life in the spotlight-- that of her own and her muralist husband, Diego Rivera.

The couple were incredibly civically engaged, using their artistic platforms and combined fame to speak out about politics in Mexico and across the world. Frida often fabricated her birthdate to better align with the start of the Mexican Revolution, further associating herself with the catalytic change of the era. She and her husband were avid communists, even housing Leon Trotsky while he sought political asylum in Mexico.

While a very outward political activist, Frida was also a figurehead defining an era of progressive feminism. Afraid of neither bright clothing and shining accessories nor her traditionally masculine features and free-range facial hair, Frida embodied new ideals of feminism as a force for both challenging and embracing femininity. Today, feminists work to embrace intersectional ideals that include all women, regardless of how they do or don’t embrace traditional femininity. Many people still struggle with these more “radical” ideas, but Kahlo was espousing these modern objectives almost a century ago. In current indie-art culture, Kahlo is being idealized-- a face on pins, a stylistic, idealistic inspiration-- on such a large scale as she, decades after her death, has found contemporaries. Her lifestyle and ideals were so far ahead of her time that it took about fifty years for them to be widely celebrated. The heart she put into her womanhood has finally come to fruition in a new generation born-and-raised on girl power. “I don’t know where I would be … had no one ever started telling their story through their own self.” Said Tazia, 20 for Clover Letter in discussing her thankfulness for Frida Kahlo’s bold, meaningful art. Frida’s  ardent passion for and defense of her ideals make her such an important and heroic figure. The emotional strength and courage to so fully embrace such periodically controversial ideals is so very inspiring.

The striking, vivacious nature of Kahlo's art is so individualistic and defining. Her raw, introspective work, predominantly in self-portraiture, was nothing if not a reflection of her own bold, unapologetic nature. Bright colors and potent subjects made her work all the more powerful. Aside from self-portraits reflecting things ranging from her tumultuous marriage and love life to her personal fragility in physical and mental health, Kahlo painted things like the suicide of a friend, her own miscarriage, aspects of traditional Mexican culture, and some still-lives of tropical fruits, often adorned with some radical symbolism. Her work was always meaningful, whether she be expressing political beliefs or her own vulnerability. Pieces like “The Broken Column” clearly portrayed her struggles with her physical health and the impact of those battles on her life. “A Few Small Nips” showcases issues in her marriage, which lead to many known affairs, with both men and women. “Weeping Coconuts”, one of Kahlo’s later works, reflects her pain and struggles through tropical fruit as she was no longer as comfortable painting her rather sickly self. Her willingness to continue showcasing her emotions even as she lost confidence and control over her body displays her amazing perseverance and courage, alongside those same qualities so blatantly exercised in her art.

One of Kahlo's many self-portraits.Kahlo, Frida. "Self Portrait 1943" or "Self Portrait With Monkeys 1943"Unlike the Hollywood stars of today who emerge on red carpets from limousines full of smoke, Kahlo arrived at one of her biggest exhibits in an ambulance. Complications from childhood illnesses and injuries, including polio and a major bus crash, had her in and out of the hospital for most of her life. Many days were spent bedridden, or at least confined to the home-- an incredible burden for a woman so taken by the spotlight. But Kahlo never let her body stop her. She pushed through as much school, with acceptance and attendance to one of Mexico’s best preparatory schools, until she physically could not take the strain. She traveled and worked all her life despite having to wear back braces and take many medications. As a young adult, Kahlo was impaled by a metal pole in a bus crash, resulting in immense injuries and extensive spinal damage. “At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can,” said Kahlo, this being one of her more notable quotes. She was characterized by her immeasurable perseverance. In the end, complications from an eventual leg amputation and several illnesses brought an end to her, but all through her struggles, she continued to live. Perhaps even more importantly, she made her pain known. Through her words and her art, Kahlo shared her suffering-- physical and mental-- with those that would listen. The immense bravery it took to lay herself out on a platter for the world to see was so defining of her nature. Again, the truly courageous and persevering nature of Frida Kahlo made her such an important figure.

Frida Kahlo was an amazing woman-- a true hero. Courage, perseverance, and passion shone through in everything she did. From the way she created to the way she lived, she always found ways to express bold ideas and emotions. She radiated confidence in her allegiance to her ideals. Her progressive behavior was continuously ahead of its time and made her the icon she is in modernity. Her life and art will forever stand out as an inspiration.

Works Cited

Kahlo, Frida. “Self Portrait With Monkey 1943.” Frida Kahlo Foundation, 1943, Mexico City, Mexico, www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/.

Marquez, Ruben G. Digital Collage “Happy Birthday Frida.” Ruben Guadalupe Marquez (@broobs.psd), Instagram, 6 July 2017, www.instagram.com/broobs.psd/.

Smith, Roberta. “Review: 'Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit'.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Apr. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/04/04/arts/design/review-diego-rivera-and-frida-kahlo-in-detroit.html.

Trebay, Guy. “Frida Kahlo Is Having a Moment.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 May 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/style/frida-kahlo-is-having-a-moment.html.

“The Complete Works.” Frida Kahlo - The Complete Works, Frida Kahlo Froundation, www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/the-complete-works.html.

“Frida Kahlo.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 6 Nov. 2017, www.biography.com/people/frida-kahlo-9359496#!

“10 Girls Get Real About: What They're Thankful for in 2016.” Clover Letter, Clover, 23 Nov. 2016, www.cloverletter.com/articles/what-teens-are-thankful-for?rq=frida%2Bkahlo.