Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlofineartamerica.comImagine being in constant agony every second of every day and still having the passion to do what you love. This is what the late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo went through in order to fulfill her artistic calling. Frida Kahlo was an artist of German, Indian, and Mexican descent who influenced many people be themselves. From her leg being deformed by polio, to a freak accident leaving her broken in almost every part of her body, Frida went through more trauma in half her life than most of us will ever experience. But that never stopped her from pursuing her dreams. In order to be a hero, a person must go above and beyond the normal expectations for certain traits. Not only did Frida Kahlo’s art inspire others, but her vulnerability and strength is what made her a hero.

The Broken Columnwordpress.comNow and even in the past, someone who is 100% truthful is hard to come by. But Frida Kahlo went way beyond that norm and shared her most painful moments with the world through her art. Kahlo painted her reality, never once leaving out a single detail or emotion. Her art conveyed her daily struggle and was purely how she felt. ¨Another is The Broken Column. It is another self-portrait, this one showing her with nails driven into her face and body. Kahlo´s exposed spine is bound together with straps. Tears pour from her eyes¨ (Morrison). Kahlo painted exactly how she felt with her injuries. This gave so many people insight on her pain and gave them hope for themselves. Her spinal injury left her in constant pain her entire life, but she never let it get the better of her. Many artists tried to put Frida in a box in an effort to classify her. They wanted to label her so her art could be justified. But Frida always knew herself within and made sure others knew too. ¨Although even Andre Breton himself attempted to classify Kahlo as a surrealist, Kahlo disagreed, saying, ´I never painted my dreams. I painted my own reality´¨ (Morrison). Frida stood up for her art by saying she painted her life and was always authentic. She made sure everyone knew her true emotions and that her art reflected that. Frida Kahlo was always authentic to her fans, herself, and her art.

Frida Kahlo painting while bedridden.angelacarteronline.comFrida Kahlo helped many people be comfortable with themselves through her art, but she also went beyond that as to represent multiple people of the community with pride. As a woman in the early 1900s, Frida might've soccummed to social standards for women, but instead she stood up strong for herself and others. ¨During the early 1980s, Kahlo came to be regarded as a pioneer in feminism and a cultural patriot. Kahlo became a symbol of perseverance and strength for women¨ (Frida Kahlo Dictionary). Frida was most definitely a pioneer, not only in her art, but in the way she advocated for others, especially women. The way Frida independently lived her life itself was enough to inspire others to take charge and live their best most true life. The road to artistic success was a long one for Frida. So when it came about, the physical restraints put on her were never going to stop her from watching her achievements. ¨ In 1953, Kahlo received her first solo exhibition in Mexico. While bedridden at the time, Kahlo did not miss out on the exhibition's opening. Arriving by ambulance, Kahlo spent the evening talking and celebrating with the attendees¨ ( Frida Kahlo Bibliography.com). Kahlo constantly displayed strength in the way that she went about her struggle. Once again, Frida´s dreams coming to fruition made her that much more determined to be the strong woman the world saw her as. Though Frida had many physical and emotional obstacles to overcome, she always powered through them with the strength she had that was fuelled by passion for art.

Frida Kahlo´s drive to be as vulnerable as possible is what made her a hero. Though she went through as astonishing amount of tragedy in her lifetime, Kahlo never let it get the best of her. This perseverance created the artist the world knows today. Frida Kahlo inspires me to take advantage of all the opportunities given to me and to be true to myself and others. Kahlo defied her circumstances with authenticity and power in order to make her artistic dreams a reality.

Works Cited

“Frida Kahlo.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 9 Mar. 2018, www.biography.com/people/frida-kahlo-9359496.

"Frida Kahlo." Dictionary of Hispanic Biography, Gale, 1996. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1611000220/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=a0c6385c. Accessed 30 Mar. 2018.

Morrison, John. "Frida Kahlo." Frida Kahlo, Jan. 2003, p. 6. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=b6h&AN=12545007&site=brc-live.