Many people know of Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, as the lady with the big unibrow. Kahlo was a strong feminist. She famously included her bushy unibrow in her self-portraits. Although her eyebrows were not as extreme as depicted in her art, Kahlo continued to emphasize them to support her defying traditional beauty standards.
Frida Kahlo was a talented artist. She told her life story through her paintings. Kahlo’s paintings included her reflections on the culture and history of Mexico, politics, such as Communism, gender roles, other social issues and some depicted pain and resilience.
Kahlo suffered a lot of physical and emotional pain throughout her life. As a young child, she was diagnosed with polio. When Kahlo was a young adult, she was hit by a streetcar which caused her many injuries.
She had to have around 30 surgeries which were expensive and put a financial burden on her family. Many of her paintings were done in bed because Kahlo continued to suffer throughout her life as a result of her accident and many surgeries. This accident also caused Kahlo to become infertile.
The artist was married to Diego Rivera, another Mexican artist. Throughout their relationship, he was unfaithful. Kahlo even once compared her relationship with Rivera to her terrible streetcar accident, calling him the second grave accident in her life.
In some of her earlier paintings, Kahlo reflects on her feelings post-accident. These paintings are intense and grotesque because they depict her emotions of being broken and suffering. She was struggling with physical pain, infertility, and an unfaithful husband.
Her life is documented not only through her infamous paintings and self-portraits but also through a diary of the end of her life and photographs of Kahlo and Rivera by Gisele Freund.
Kahlo remains one of the most famous artists in history. Her art depicts many social issues, shows her identity struggle and pain and reflects on feminism. She is an important figure in Mexican history, feminism and the LGBTQ community. Kahlo was openly queer, which was rare and uncommon at the time. She had affairs with women and men. Kahlo was even in a relationship with Chavela Vargas, a Mexican singer.
March is Women’s History Month. Continue to learn about women who document and share their stories. Many women have made great impacts on culture and society. It is important to pay them respect and learn from their accomplishments.