Frida Kahlo – A feminist icon

Think of Frida Kahlo and you perhaps envision rich, high chroma photographs of the artist proudly bearing her iconic monobrow with vibrant ribbons in her hair – her unique beauty plain to see.

But only the slightest bit of research into the artist’s life will uncover endless incidents of suffering. Early in her childhood, Kahlo contracted polio, which left her bedridden for nine months, causing her legs to grow disproportionately. At the age of 18, she was involved in a horrific bus crash that left her with a crushed pelvis, broken spine, leg, and foot. She would suffer chronic pain for the rest of her life. Then came her tumultuous marriage to the muralist Diego Riviera, during which time she was left furious with his numerous affairs, and suffered more than one life threatening and traumatic miscarriage. It all makes for a difficult read – how can one person endure so many misfortunes?

Out of her struggle came a resilience and a passion for painting her reality, with richly symbolic and revolutionary subject matter.