Who is Frida Kahlo?

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a Mexican painter known for intensely personal, symbolically rich self-portraits that explore identity, pain, and the body. While associated with Surrealism, Kahlo famously declared ‘I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality’-her fantastical imagery emerged from lived experience rather than unconscious exploration. Her work incorporates Mexican folk art, pre-Columbian symbolism, and Catholic iconography alongside Surrealist juxtaposition and psychological intensity. Paintings like ‘The Two Fridas’ and ‘The Broken Column’ transform physical and emotional suffering into powerful visual statements. Kahlo’s influence extends beyond art into feminist discourse and Latina identity. Her work anticipates contemporary interests in identity, the body, and autobiographical art explored in Pop Surrealism and beyond.