Beyond Frida Kahlo as one of the most commercialized figures ever and the face that’s printed on every T-shirt, is a gifted painter and one of the greatest artists of all time.
Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon is widely known for her distinctive and deeply personal self-portraits.
The Mexican artist’s life wasn’t an easy one: Frida contracted polio as a child, had a near-fatal, life-changing accident as a teenager, married a renowned artist who had countless affairs, struggled with infertility, ailing health, and a lifetime of chronic pain.
But Frida Kahlo found her salvation in the paintbrush and transformed her experiences into beautiful and emotionally charged art.
To celebrate her life and work, I put together a list of reasons why Frida Kahlo is an inspiration to everyone. So scroll down and learn a little more about the amazing woman behind the artwork.
Reasons why Frida Kahlo is an enduring inspiration
1. Frida Kahlo transcended society’s beauty standards
“Pluck your eyebrows!”, “Wax your legs and arms!”, “Armpit hair and a mustache are not acceptable!” Umm, yeah, not happening.
Instead of conforming to feminine ideals of the 1940s, Frida embraced her natural beauty. Her thick black unibrow and facial hair were her trademarks which she incorporated and purposely accentuated in her iconic self-portraits.
The OG selfie queen didn’t follow the trends regarding clothing either; Frida wore traditional Mexican garments and she did it pridefully. Her hair was also styled with traditional accessories as well as flower crowns.
Frida Kahlo boldly challenged the beauty norms and defined her image through her cultural heritage and on her own terms, inspiring countless women for years to come.
2. Frida Kahlo was always true to herself
Society puts pressure on women to define themselves in a certain way, but those who truly stand out are the ones who disregard stereotypes while embracing their individuality.
Only that kind of person can make a profound impact on others because they don’t give in to society’s pressures and stand by their values. Frida Khalo was never the one to bow to the status quo.
She was confident in her way of doing things; she was openly bisexual, bold in her political involvement, her beauty, and her cultural identity. To put it simply, Frida did what she wanted and she never hesitated to speak out.
She also courageously channeled her traumatic experiences and insecurities that came with them into her greatest strength: her art.
3. The “F” in feminism stands for “Frida”
Frida was born in a time where it wasn’t socially acceptable for a girl/woman to be anything more than a quiet housewife obeying her husband’s orders.
With Frida, however, that wasn’t the case and the eccentric artist went against the social norms of her time and challenged patriarchy in her own way. Her lifestyle and work were so far ahead of her time it took a lifetime for them to be widely celebrated.
Like I already mentioned, the gifted painter was all about self-acceptance; Frida refused to change her “masculine” features and chose to highlight her unibrow and facial hair instead. She had a courageous attitude, rebellious streak, and a penchant for men’s suits; she boxed, smoked, and could drink more tequila than any man.
Kahlo made no apologies or excuses for her sexual orientation, which was a bold act for her time.
The trailblazer defied the traditional art depiction of female beauty and painted raw and painful experiences that many women go through, including miscarriage, sexuality, and the social position of women.
4. Frida Kahlo refused to be a victim of a broken body
At the age of 6, Frida was stricken with polio – a condition that left permanent damage to her leg and caused a limp.
However, the trouble didn’t stop there. At the age of 18, Kahlo was riding a bus that collided with a trolly. The force of impact flung her through the air and caused a steel handrail to penetrate her body, leaving her spine broken.
The freak accident left her with horrific injuries, scars, and pain, but it didn’t kill her. Frida vowed to walk again, that’s how resilient she was. Physical pain and numerous surgeries plagued Frida for the rest of her life; her health continued to deteriorate to the point that she had to have her leg amputated.
And she had something that helped her get through it all – the paintbrush. During her time in the hospital, she began to paint and became her first artistic subject.
The disability pioneer found strength in it all of her misfortune and turned her pain into a creative force. She once said, “I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.”
5. Frida persevered through a lifetime of challenges
Frida went through hell and back. Not only did she barely stay alive and was often bedridden, but she also endured heartbreak from the love of her life, Diego Rivera.
The famous muralist was a serial cheater; he had numerous affairs with other women, including Frida’s sister. Her husband’s transgressions pained her deeply and pushed her to engage in love affairs of her own.
Frida had many lovers, both men, and women – including the Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky, entertainer Josephine Baker and a rumored affair with painter Georgia O’Keeffe.
“I suffered two serious accidents in my life, one in which a bus threw me to the ground… The other accident is Diego,” Frida famously said. However, she and Diego were obsessed with each other and always found their way back in each other’s arms.
To make matters worse, Frida was unable to bear children as a result of the bus accident. She had three miscarriages, shattering her lifelong dream of becoming a mother.
But Frida still didn’t give up. The perseverance and unapologetic spirit that Frida Kahlo displayed throughout her difficult life made her an inspiration for many – for the disabled community, LGBTQ community, women, and for every single soul that did everything but fit in.
6. Frida Kahlo turned her pain into beauty
As Frida struggled with both physical and emotional pain through her short life, the canvas became her escape and emotional catharsis.
The artist transformed the cruel realities she faced – a ruined body and a broken heart – into works of art and exposed the most intimate aspects of herself.
“I paint self-portraits because I paint my own reality. I paint what I need to. Painting completed my life. I lost three children and painting substituted for all of this,” she wrote in her diary.
Her explicit artwork gave us a fascinating glimpse into her troubled life and made all of us feel like we knew her. But more importantly, she reminded us that there is strength in vulnerability and that inspiration can come from even the darkest of times.
7. Frida Kahlo was a political activist
The political unrest in Mexico and the spread of socialist ideas significantly influenced Frida Kahlo’s work.
She wanted a better life for her beloved homeland, free from oppression and inequalities, and was not afraid to express her social and political attitudes through her life and work.
Like many young and educated people in the 1920s, Frida joined the Communist party. In addition to class struggle and social justice, Kahlo was particularly committed to women’s rights and promoting Mexican culture.
Even though Frida was born in 1907, the fiery Mexican patriot changed her birth year to 1910 to express her identification with resistance and the Mexican Revolution, which started in 1910 and lasted until 1920.
8. Frida Kahlo is a queer icon
Frida Kahlo fought a long and hard battle to free herself from both physical handicaps and social restraints.
She is not only an important figure in art history but also a symbol of strength for a diversity of communities. The artist is an icon within the disabled community, feminist movement, and women in politics. She’s an inspiration to survivors, fighters, broken-hearted people, and, of course, the LGBTQ movement.
Frida disregarded the gender limitations and explored her sexuality with both men and women. She didn’t hide it from the world or apologize about it.
She empowered generations of artists and people from all walks of life to accept themselves and share their identity, art, stories, and visions with the world.
And if that is not a good enough reason why Frida Kahlo is an inspiration, then I don’t know what is.
Frida Kahlo left this world over six decades ago, but as she once herself said: “The only ones who die are those who never lived. And whoever lives on after death produces in those who come afterward new sensations, longings, and desires.”
Frida Kahlo was a true inspiration to all of us, and I’m happy she was sent to our little rock floating in space that we call home and made it a better place.
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