“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” ~Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was one of the greatest and most groundbreaking Mexican artists. She was a controversial figure and represented and advocated for many disenfranchised groups, such as Mexicans, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and anyone who defied “the norm.” Her work was heavily influenced by Mexican folk art and indigenous cultures, as well as European art movements such as Surrealism and Realism. Her paintings were vibrant and symbolic, often exploring themes of personal identity and the body.
Kahlo was attracted to art at a young age, but it was something that she only really started to take seriously at the age of 18, when she suffered severe injuries from a bus accident. She was bedridden for three months, and her mom got her a special easel so she could paint in bed. This was when she began exploring themes of self-reflection. She had a mirror mounted on her ceiling so she could make selfportraits even while confined to her bed.
Most of her early work drew on European art forms, but after moving to Morelos, Mexico, with her husband, she became increasingly inspired by traditional and indigenous art. As someone who suffered from chronic pain and illness, she often used her art to showcase and express the pain she went through both physically and psychologically. It often made people uncomfortable, which is how she first earned her controversial reputation.
Kahlo passed away soon after turning 47, but her fame only grew. She may not have sold much of her art while alive, but her work now sells for incredibly high prices. She set a record for the most expensive Latin American work sold at auction and is among the highest-selling female artists. She is also considered a feminist icon for defying gender norms and creating raw, real depictions of the female experience.
In 2007, the Mexico City Mint issued a medal to honor the work of Frida Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera. The obverse of the medal shows one of Rivera’s paintings, but the reverse features a version of Kahlo’s famous painting, The Two Fridas. The painting represents her struggle with her recent divorce and her sense of self.
You can see two different versions of Kahlo holding hands in front of a stormy sky. On the right, the artist is wearing a white, high-necked, European-style wedding dress to represent the European heritage on her father’s side. On the right, you see a “traditional” Kahlo wearing the traditional colorful Tehuana dress worn by the indigenous Zapotec women on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. She often wore these dresses as an expression of her Mexican heritage from her Mother’s side. The “modern” Kahlo has a broken heart connected to the complete heart of the “traditional” Kahlo. Even on the small canvas of the surface of the coin, you can see that “traditional” Kahlo holds a picture of her husband, Diego Rivera, while “modern” Kahlo holds the surgical scissors that cut her heart. This represents the sadness she felt during her brief divorce. The stormy sky in the background represents the inner turmoil she experienced between the two versions of herself.