Frida Kahlo was one of the 20th century's most influential Hispanic artists, and is remembered all over the world for her self-portraits, which were full of pain, passion and vibrant colours. She is celebrated in Mexico for her representation of indigenous Mexican culture, and by feminists for her depiction of the female experience.
Born in 1907 in Mexico, Kahlo suffered from Polio as a young child and later nearly died in a bus accident as a teenager. She suffered a fractured spine, collarbone and ribs; a shattered pelvis; a broken foot and a dislocated shoulder. Throughout her lifetime she underwent 30 operations, and used her time in a body cast to focus on her painting.
Kahlo used her artwork as an outlet to share her experiences of life as a woman. She often depicted her turbulent relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera, who she married twice. Both parties in the marriage had multiple affairs with both men and women, which eventually caused Kahlo to cut off all her hair in an effort to upset Rivera. This gave place to one of her most poignant self-portraits, 'Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair', which is captioned by the words 'Look, if I loved you, it was because of your hair, now that you're bald, I don't love you anymore'.
She also addressed more sensitive women's issues in her artwork, such as menstruation, abortion and miscarriage. Due to her injuries, Kahlo was unable to give birth and suffered many miscarriages, which she depicted starkly in a painting of a female body with a swollen abdomen lying in a pool of blood on a hospital bed.
"My painting carries with it the message of pain"
Kahlo was also very politically active and has become a feminist icon for the way she used her art to challenge societal expectations for women. She celebrated traditionally ugly characteristics, such as her monobrow and moustache, and dressed much more traditionally and flamboyantly than what was deemed appropriate for women at the time. In addition to this, she was well-known for her Marxist leanings and, along with other figures such as Che Guevara, has become a countercultural symbol of the 20th century. She joined the Mexican Communist Party in 1948 and even participated in a protest against the CIA invasion of Guatemala just days before she died aged 47.
Frida Kahlo was an outspoken, passionate artist who could not be stopped by society or even her own medical ailments. She remains an important figure in feminist history and continues to be a source of inspiration for women, as well as the LGBTQ+ community.
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