Frida Kahlo: Art, Pain, and Cultural Impact

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Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist, lived most of her life in physical pain, yet she continued to paint until her death. Her artwork records her suffering and experiences as a woman. She was born to a Mexican mother and a German father.

The Two Fridas (Las dos Fridas). Oil on canvas painted in 1939.
The Two Fridas (Las dos Fridas). Oil on canvas was painted in 1939.

As a designer, I love Kahlo’s work, as her self-portraits contain symbolism. At the same time, I do not suggest that designers use their designs to work through the pain and suffering in life as Kahlo did. Kahlo’s work is beneficial for designers to study, as symbolism and metaphor are often critical devices used in visual communication.

“Frida Kahlo’s powerful autobiographical paintings explored the human psyche.”

Frida Kahlo
This painting was painted in 1945 when she was force-fed.

Kahlo, the wife of the muralist Diego Riviera, was, like her husband, considered a cult figure in Mexico. Feminists admire her for her openness and for recording her life as a woman.

Kahlo was born in 1910 and died in 1954. During that time, she produced a relatively small body of work – about 150 pictures. Many of these pictures are intensely powerful in a simple, straightforward way. She recorded the uniquely female experience of pregnancy, therapeutic abortion and miscarriage, disappointment in love and the physical pain that she had to endure.

Frida Kahlo Quote

Kahlo was seriously injured at age 15 in a bus accident in which one of her feet was broken, her spine fractured in several places, and her pelvis smashed by a metal bar that pierced her body. If that is not bad enough, polio left her with a limp before the age of 6.

In the 29 years following the accident, she was to undergo 30 operations and spend many years in a stormy marriage to Rivera.

Throughout it all, she could paint and teach for almost the last decade. For some of the striking self-portraits that she did, she had an easel rigged to straddle her bed and a mirror on a bedpost.

Much of her work had a surrealist quality. Art historians often considered her a Surrealist due to the psychological and existential issues she dealt with in her art. However, she asserted that she was not a surrealist because she recorded reality, not fantasy.

One such picture shows her lying naked on a blood-soaked bed in Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, set in a barren landscape with only factories rising in the distance. She was alone and defenceless. The picture records an abortion, the lost fetus growing in the middle of the picture attached to a blood vessel. Also similarly attached are an orchid, a snail, a model of a spinal cord, a pelvis and a factory machine.

Frida Kahlo
In this painting, Frida depicts herself lying on a bed naked with blood and haemorrhaging in Henry Ford Hospital.

“See me. Look at me. Listen to me. I exist.”

Kahlo painted in vibrant, bright colours, rarely using black. Mexican culture, with its Indian mystique and obsession with death, influenced her work.

However, she was not a naive or primitive painter, even though her painting shows this influence. Such contemporary figures also influenced Rousseau and Gauguin, who painted lush jungle scenes.

Portrait of Diego Rivera and Frida (Kahlo) Rivera
Portrait of Diego Rivera and Frida (Kahlo) Rivera

Her paintings were not beautiful in the ordinary sense. Kahlo was striking and somewhat masculine in appearance. Her self-portraits are honest in depicting not the idealised person but the person she was.

Frida Kahlo the Life of an Icon
Frida Kahlo: the Life of an Icon

Frida Kahlo in Contemporary Culture

Frida Kahlo’s enduring influence resonates in contemporary culture, with recent developments highlighting her artistic legacy and personal narrative.

New Documentary: “Frida”

In March 2024, the documentary “Frida,” directed by Carla Gutiérrez, premiered on Amazon Prime Video. This film offers an intimate portrayal of Kahlo’s life, utilizing her letters and diaries to narrate her story. The documentary combines archival footage with animated interpretations of her artwork, providing a fresh perspective on her experiences and artistic journey. Associated Press

Exhibitions in Mexico City

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of Kahlo’s passing, Mexico City hosted exhibitions that delve into her personal and artistic life. Her lifelong residence, the Casa Azul, presented “A Place Full of Places: Casa Azul,” featuring over 200 items, including correspondence, annotated books, and personal collections. Additionally, the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo showcased an exhibition curated by her great-niece, Cristina Kahlo, focusing on Frida’s medical history through personal letters and photographs. Le Monde

Rediscovery of “The Wounded Table”

Kahlo’s 1940 painting “The Wounded Table,” which disappeared after being exhibited in Poland in 1955, has resurfaced in art discussions. Art historians Helga Prignitz-Poda and Katarina Lopatkina suggest that the painting may still be in Poland, possibly in private collections or awaiting rediscovery. The artwork, created during a tumultuous period in Kahlo’s life, reflects her emotional state and surrealist style. The Times

Madonna’s Tribute to Kahlo

In June 2024, Madonna revealed that she visited Kahlo’s family home in Mexico City, where she wore replicas of the artist’s clothing and jewellery. Describing the experience as “magical,” Madonna’s homage underscores Kahlo’s lasting impact on artists and performers worldwide. EW

These events highlight Frida Kahlo’s enduring relevance in art and culture, inspiring new generations to explore her life and work.


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