By Sanja Radakovic '24
Frida Kahlo is such an important figure in the Hispanic/Latinx community. She was born on July 6th, 1907 in Mexico City to a German immigrant father and Mexican mother. She was diagnosed with polio when she was young, which caused her to walk with a limp. In 1925, Frida was traveling on a bus when suddenly the vehicle collided with a streetcar. As a result of the accident, Frida suffered several major injuries that caused her to deal with disability and chronic pain for the rest of her life, but this did not stop her.
During her recovery, she began to paint, finishing her first self-portrait the following year. Her moments of hardship were what inspired her to start getting involved with art, and she soon became a great influence, not only because of her skills but also because of her notorious sense of feminism and political activism. She continued to paint and was soon regarded as a feminist icon. In fact, Frida very much despised gender stereotypes: she smoked, boxed, won tequila challenges against men, and dressed like a man in a family portrait. And in her art, she painted real women and real experiences. Frida didn’t paint the traditional depiction of female beauty in art and instead chose to paint raw and honest experiences that so many women face.
In 1929, Kahlo married a famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. They first met 1922 when he went to work on a project at her high school. She often watched as Rivera created a mural called “The Creation” in the school’s lecture hall. By 1930, they lived in San Francisco, California. They had gone to New York City for Rivera’s show at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and later moved to Detroit for Rivera’s commission with the Detroit Institute of Arts. During their marriage, Frida also had several relationships with women, including a much-rumored one with fellow feminist artist Georgia O'Keeffe.
Frida was the first Mexican artist to be featured in the prestigious Louvre Museum in Paris, and Mexico had declared her works as a national cultural heritage, prohibiting their export from the country. Some of her well known paintings include: The Two Fridas, The Broken Column, Self-portrait with Thorn necklace, Henry Ford Hospital, Without Hope, A Few Small Nip, and Dos Mujeres.
Frida Kahlo is an iconic figure for the Latinx community and is widely celebrated during Hispanic Heritage Month. She has been and forever will be appreciated for her art works, strong views on politics, and uniqueness. Not only should Frida Kahlo be appreciated for her important contributions, but so should all other Latinx/Hispanic pivotal figures of the past and the present.
Editors: Cecilia Fiorindo, Ms. Brilliant.
Fair Use Disclaimer
The images and contents in this article are under Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Comments