Frida Kahlo…a woman, an artist, and an influencer

There are women who are great artists yet also impactful influencers, in the sense that their lives were intertwined with delicate and intricate experiences that could also empower the women of today or be an inspiration for them.

These examples are product of numerous attempts of women activists before, to be known, to be heard, and to be the inspiration of others in fighting for their rights and welfare.

Frida Kahlo is such one person who lived her entire yet short life full of misadventures, disability, depressive state of mind, and later on, that of standing up. She was born Magdalena Carmen Frida Calderon Kahlo on July 6, 1907, and died on July 13, 1954.

She is known for her many self-portraits depicting her experiences as a woman deprived of having a child, her physical pain, depiction of her heartaches, and longing for her native land. Oftentimes, her paintings were a mixture of realism and fantasy, which is why she was described as a surrealist painter.

Her childhood was a little difficult because of frequent illnesses that resulted in her being disabled by polio at an early age. Her condition was aggravated by an extremely serious accident that happened when she was 18 and this caused her a lifelong medical problem. Being bedridden for months, she spent her days drawing and painting, which was a childhood interest then. With nothing to do during her recovery, she concentrated on painting and later on developed her style. Her father, a German descendant and a photographer, Guillermo, and her mother, Matilde, a half- Amerindian, half- Spanish, encouraged her to paint and supported her with all the materials and the easel especially made for her state of condition, that of painting while lying on her bed. Frida Kahlo has two older sisters and one younger sister.

Aside from art, she also became interested in politics and joined the Mexican Communist Party in 1927. She married fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera in 1929 and they travelled together in Mexico and the United States. Her style was not influenced by her husband because she painted mostly self-portraits, Mexican folk art and culture, her pet animals, and most often her interpretation of her chronic pain experiences.

She once expressed,

"I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best".

This was very visible in all her artworks featuring herself, her pain and her thoughts.

Her first solo exhibition happened in New York at the Julien Levy Gallery in 1938, thru the help of another Surrealist artist, Andre Breton. It was a success followed by another exhibit in Paris in 1939. She participated in other exhibitions in Mexico and the United States and aside from that, she worked as an art teacher.

Unfortunately, her declining health became a hindrance to her blooming career. It was only in 1953 when she had her first solo exhibit in Mexico and died at the early age of 47 in 1954.

Her works became popular in the 1970s because of the boom of political activism during that era. She was regarded as a symbol of the feminist movement and also of Mexican fashion which was noticeable in the way she dresses and adorns her hair with flowers and bandannas. Her friendship with the Italian-American, Tina Modotti, a photographer and a revolutionary, made also an impact on the society they were in; specifically, both were members of the Mexican Communist Party. One was a painter and the other was a photographer. They both expressed their thoughts and actions thru their specific medium.

Frida’s boyish attitude and intimate relationships with both men and women, later on, became a great influence on the LGBTQIA+ Movement in Mexico. She became not just a recognized figure in art history but also an icon of the feminist movement and of Mexican art and culture.

Why did I choose to dig into and write about Frida’s life and art career? Well, I simply adore her and I love her works and style. And that attraction wouldn’t be cemented if I couldn’t be able to get a glimpse of the exhibit about her which took place last April 16, 2022, at Palazzo Belloni via de Gombruti 13 in Bologna. The show was entitled FRIDA KAHLO The Experience, a photo exhibit that featured photos from her childhood, her family, her relationship with her husband Diego, a physical depiction of her bedroom and studio where she painted most of her artworks, and a display of her dresses and accessories. There was also a virtual presentation which I enjoyed a lot and a few samples of her works. It was indeed an exciting journey to be able to enter her world through this Mostra Fotografica. I will be looking forward to the realization of a dream, a visit to the real Casa Azul in Coyoacan in Mexico which now houses the Frida Kahlo Museum.