`Frida Khalo was Mostly known for her amazing self portraits and paintings but apart from that she was an inspiring hard working woman. Frida Khalo is a famous Mexican artist who became popular in the 1970’s with about 200 paintings explaining her life, her culture, and her spirit. 

     Frida Khalo was born on July 6, 1907, in the house of her parents most know as “La Casa Azul”. She was born to a German father of Hungarian descent and a Mexican mother of Spanish and native American descent. At the age of 6, Kahlo was diagnosed with polio. It led to her right leg being thinner than her left and the decreased circulation to her leg caused chronic pain for all of her life. The illness also forced her to be isolated from her peers as she had to delay starting school for months. Kahlo was especially close to her father, who was a professional photographer, and she assisted him in his studio, where she acquired a sharp eye for detail. Although Kahlo took some drawing classes, she was more interested in science, and in 1922 she entered the National Preparatory School in Mexico City with an interest in eventually studying medicine. At this school she first met the famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera for the first time. Rivera at that time was working on a mural called The Creation on the school campus. Frida often watched it and she told a friend she will marry him someday.

      In 1925 at the age 18, Frida Kahlo was injured in a bus accident which sent a handrail through her back and out of her pelvis. The crash crushed her foot and dislocated her shoulder. Her collarbone, two ribs, and one leg were broken. But the most detrimental injuries were to her spine and pelvis. She had to undergo more than 30 medical operations in her lifetime. During her slow recovery, Kahlo taught herself to paint, and she read frequently, studying the art of the Old Masters. Frida Kahlo once said, “I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best.” Frida reconnected with Rivera in 1928. She had asked him to evaluate her work and he encouraged her to go for it. The two soon started their romantic relationship. Despite her mother’s objection, Frida and Diego Rivera got married in the next year.

   Drawing on personal experiences, including her marriage, her miscarriages, and her numerous operations, Kahlo’s works often are characterized by their stark portrayals of pain. Of her 143 paintings, 55 are self-portraits which often incorporate symbolic portrayals of physical and psychological wounds. She insisted, “I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” She was invited by Andre Breton to a trip to France in 1939 and was featured at an exhibition of her paintings in Paris. The Louvre bought one of her paintings, The Frame, which was displayed at the exhibit. This was the first work by a 20th century Mexican artist ever purchased by the internationally renowned museum. After that her career flew off.

   Even with all her struggle she went through with her marriage, disease, and accident she pushed forward and became the amazing artist she is known for today. Which is a lesson for all of us that even when there may be many lows there’s always highs. If you’re ever interested in looking at her work in New york city, the museum of modern arts.