Frida Kahlo

“I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to know better.”

Born 6 july 1907 in Coyoacan, Mexico. Died 13th july 1957 in Coyoacan, Mexico.

Painter

Personality traits: creative, resilient, socially gifted, passionate, exhibitionistic, cultural advocate, political.

Fame: One of the most famous female painters of the 20th century, and later a feminist influencer.

Notable acquaintances: Diego riviera, Heinz Bergruen, Leon Trotsky, Isamu, Nogushi, Tina Modotti, Julio Antonio, Mella, Anses Henestrosa, David Alfaro Siquieros, Jose Clemente Orozco, Lola Alvarez Bravo, Marcel Duchamp, Andre Breton, Edgar Kaufman Jr, Nickloas Muray, Timothy Pflueger, Ralph Stackpole, Edward Weston.

Why Frida?

Frida Kahlo created her paintings from an inexhaustible curiosity about herself. Her interest in her origins and indigenous roots gave her persona and art a uniquely autonomous expression that is singularly her own. But far from being self-centered depictions of a painful life, her autobiographical motifs acquire a sense of meaning and activism.

Her paintings are narrative, and have an air of surreal juxtapositions, which I think must have made perfect sense to her. I am fascinated by her resilience, and how she dealt with humiliation - both as an occasional invalid and as the wife of a powerful and famous husband. Throughout her life she promoted freedom and individuality, both in terms of who she was herself, and as a template for others.