HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH: THE LIFE AND TRAJECTORY OF FRIDA KAHLO
by Rebeca Arredondo, 2-1-1
Frida Kahlo (full name Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón) was a Mexican folk art painter who became famous for her self-portraits inspired by nature and Mexican artifacts. She was born on July 6, 1907, in Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico to her German father and mestiza mother (Spanish and Native American). She died there on July 13, 1954.
Though Kahlo became disabled after contracting polio as a child, she had planned to go to medical school. That is, until she was involved in a bus accident at age 18 that caused lifelong pain and medical problems. During her recovery, she turned to art as a form of emotional healing therapy. Kahlo became known for painting about her experience of chronic pain.
As part of the post-revolutionary movement, her interest in politics and art lead her to join the Mexican Communist party in 1927. There, she met fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera, who she married in 1929. Due to their affiliation with the Communist party and a time of political unrest, they were forced to flee Mexico and escape to Los Angeles, California.
Kahlo’s first solo exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York 1938 was such a success that it was followed by another in Paris the following year. Throughout the 1940s, she continued her art exhibits and moved back to Mexico to work as an art teacher. Unfortunately, her health began to decline. Her first exhibit in Mexico happened just one year after her death in 1954 at age 47.
Despite her short life, art historians and political activists rediscovered her artwork in the early 1990s. She broke auction records in 2000 with a self-portrait found on the back of a painting titled “Portrait of Virginia,” ranked as the most expensive Latina American work and most expensive work by a woman ever sold. Because this self-portrait is located on the back of a canvas, Kahlo’s original drawing is rarely seen.
Portrait of Virginia
Frida Kahlo, 1929
Sketch for Self-Portrait with Airplane
Frida Kahlo, 1929
In 2002, the movie Frida premiered, starring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina. The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards and won for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Music Original Score. In addition, Google Arts and Culture launched a collection called “Faces of Frida” honoring Kahlo’s legacy. It features 800 items from 33 museums located in seven different countries.
Over time, Kahlo has become a global symbol of resiliency, oppression, and feminism, as well as a cult figure in the queer community due to her relationships with both men and women. At the same time, her legacy aligns with Central America’s marginalized indigenous populations, embracing diversity, and feminine power.
For more about Frida Kahlo, Exhibition on Screen released a film on February 22,2021, exploring her life and art. Watch the trailer below.