Frida Kahlo

A self portrait of Frida and a monkeyTim Evanson from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]She was fifteen, about to get on a bus with her boyfriend. Little did she know that getting on that bus would change her life forever. Frida Kahlo, an artist from Coyoacán, Mexico, discovered her passion for art at a young age and used art to tell her stories. At the age of fifteen, Kahlo got in a fatal bus accident and spent most of the year recovering from her injuries. This was the time she discovered her passion for art. She painted many self-portraits, each telling a different story in her life. Kahlo’s art incorporated her Mexican culture, which was a big part of her life, as well as her emotions which gave her art so much life. Her art spoke to many and helped others overcome their struggles and learn to follow their passions. She was humble but also voiced her opinions and was confident. Kahlo is not just a famous artist, but an icon to many communities, and an inspiration for others to take their pain and turn it into a passion for something beautiful.

Kahlo was able to reach out to many communities because of her sexuality, style, and culture through her artwork. She had her own unique style that showcased her personality: “A living tribute to the country she loved, Kahlo's signature style became synonymous with her persona and, in many ways, was a work of art in itself” (Doherty). Her confidence in herself made her an icon to others. The way she dressed made her well known, because she wore bright dresses which represented her colorful and creative personality. When others think of Frida Kahlo, they think of her style because it displays her creativity and boldness. “[Kahlo was] a disabled, bisexual, Mexican woman, [whose] honesty and vision made her a hero in many communities” (Doherty). During Kahlo’s time, being a bisexual woman who was disabled limited her rights. However, she used her strong personality to reach out to many who could relate to her and give them a voice. Unlike others, she used her platform to speak up about issues and important events in society. Kahlo’s outgoing and strong personality helped her give others a voice and made her unique style widely known.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frida_Kahlo_(1).jpgSee page for author [Public domain]Kahlo had many struggles throughout her short life, but used that pain to create something she was passionate about and showed others that they can do the same. At a young age, Kahlo became disabled because of a spine injury and that became a way for her to tell her story: “One painting, Broken Column (1944), shows the artist against a bleak desert landscape with her flesh cut away to reveal a cracked classical column in place of her spine, a painful record of her life-long struggle with the psychological and physical aftermath of her accident” (“Frida Kahlo”). This was only one of many of Kahlo’s stories. It showed her emotions about her struggles and made others think differently. Her spine injury was a big part of her life and was the main reason she turned to art as an outlet. Kahlo conveys that the way she expresses herself to her audience is through her self portraits by stating in an interview, “Since my subjects have always been my sensations, my states of mind and the profound reactions that life has been producing in me, I have frequently objectified all this in figures of myself, which were the most sincere and real thing that I could do in order to express what I felt inside and outside of myself" (qtd. In “Frida Kahlo Biography”). She explains that her story is what drives her art, and she expresses that through her self portraits. This reveals her creativity because she came up with her own way to tell her life experiences. By expressing herself through her paintings, Kahlo helped others understand her better and influenced others to show their emotions too.

Although Frida Kahlo was widely known for her artwork, she was and still is a hero to many groups of people and an inspiration for others to take their struggles and create things that make them happy. She was able to relate to many groups through her culture and personal experiences. Her ability to speak out through her art made her a hero and inspiration to many because she was able to express her emotions to others and make them have a new perspective: “Kahlo's work was intimate, personal, and in the tradition of easel painting. Usually autobiographical, she painted the events of her life with symbolic elements and situations, creating a dreamlike reality, frighteningly real but fantastic and magical” (“Frida Kahlo”). The way Kahlo presents her story and shows her emotions inspired me to do the same through photography. Just like she has inspired me, she has inspired others to find their passion and convey their emotions through that passion. Frida Kahlo started off as any other girl. But that day when she got on the bus, her career began with a tragic start.

Works Cited

Doherty, Julie. “Frida Kahlo.” Frida Kahlo (Culture Series), Jan. 2009, p. 1.

EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=b6h&AN=36212977&site=brc-live.

"Frida Kahlo." Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Biography In

Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631003490/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=beab992d. Accessed 21 Mar. 2019.

“Frida Kahlo Biography.” Henri Matisse, www.fridakahlo.org/frida-kahlo-biography.jsp.