Frida Kahlo's Colorful Life

Somewhere in Mexico City, in the neighborhood of Coyoacán, there is a big, colorful home. The locals call it “la casa azul,” Spanish for “the blue house.” It is huge and bright, with different colors decorating the walls. There is a small pyramid in the backyard and expensive paintings in every room. But, whose is this beautiful home? A president’s? A famous singer’s? Well, the notorious blue house belonged to the one and only Frida Kahlo, one of the most famous painters of all time. With bright flowers in her hair, colorful garments and an unmistakable unibrow, Frida Kahlo’s face is well known around the globe and can be found on t-shirts, greeting cards, tote bags and more. But Frida was much more than just a talented artist. She shattered negative stereotypes about women and people with disabilities through her art, and she is now considered one of the greatest painters the world has ever seen. She was smart, fearless, and became a role model for many people during and after her lifetime. Born on July 6, 1907, Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo lived in the blue house with her mother, father, and three sisters- Adriana, Matilde and Cristina. Her mother was a strong and confident Mexican woman, and her father was a German photographer. Frida was a daddy’s girl who spent a lot of time watching him take photographs and helping with his work. He taught her how to draw at a very young age. In 1913, when she was 6 years old, Frida got very sick from a disease called Polio, an illness that can cause certain parts of the body to stop working. Because of this, she was stuck in bed for 9 months. Frida was often bored since she could not play outside, and video games had not been invented yet. So, she began using her finger to draw on the windows to pass the time. Eventually, Frida got better, but the disease caused her right leg to stop growing, leaving her with one limb that was smaller than the other. Yet, she didn’t let that stop her! She got back to riding her bike around Chapultepec Park, and she later joined sports like soccer, swimming and boxing. At age 14, Frida was one of very few girls who got accepted into the prestigious National Preparatory School. Frida was very smart, but also mischievous and very playful! She and her friends created a group called “Los cachuchas,” named after the type of hats they wore to school. They loved pranks and got into lots of trouble. It’s even rumored that Frida was almost expelled from school, but she talked to the principal and he canceled her expulsion! Frida wanted to become a doctor, but in 1925, when she was 18 years old, she was in a bus accident that left her with injuries that affected her for the rest of her life. She was once again stuck in bed for months. Her parents made her a special easel that she could use to paint while in bed, and they also placed a mirror on the ceiling so she could see her reflection. This was when she taught herself to paint, and many of her artworks are self-portraits. Frida began painting as a method of expressing her emotions, and she painted for years before pursuing art as a career. Frida was a child during the Mexican revolution, which started in 1910 and ended in 1917. After the revolution, people felt an intense pride for their heritage. Mexicans were extremely proud of their culture, and this passion heavily influenced Frida. She wore beautiful, indigenous Mexican garments and depicted herself in these outfits in many of her paintings. She was very proud of her looks, and she loved her famous unibrow so much that she would even accentuate it with an eyebrow pencil. Frida wanted people to focus on her personality instead of her disabilities, so she took time daily to express herself through her unique fashion. During this time, muralists, who are artists that paint huge art pieces directly onto the walls of buildings, were some of the most popular artists in Mexico. They were so popular that the Mexican government asked the very best muralists to paint a giant art piece depicting the country’s history in the National Palace in Mexico City. One of the most famous artists in this group of muralists was Diego Rivera, whom Frida deeply admired. In 1928, Frida asked Diego for feedback on her paintings. He was extremely impressed and encouraged her to keep painting. He once said that her work shone “like a diamond.” Frida and Diego continued talking, and eventually fell in love and got married in 1929. Frida and Diego traveled all over the world together, sometimes living in foreign cities for many months at a time. But Frida loved her life in Mexico, and missed it a lot when she was abroad– a feeling that she expressed through many of her paintings. Around this time, people began to realize that Frida was an exceptionally talented painter. In 1938, she met surrealist painter André Breton, who helped her have her very first individual exhibition in New York. In 1939, the Louvre in Paris purchased one of her paintings, making her the first ever Mexican painter to ever have their work displayed at one of the world’s most respected and famous museums. Due to the bus accident when she was younger, Frida could not have children of her own. Because she always wanted to be a mother, Frida and Diego adopted exotic animals as pets and referred to them as her children. She had two monkeys, named Fulang Chang and Caimito de Guayabal, a parrot named Bonito, three dogs, named Señor Xolotl, Señorita Capulina, and Señora Kosti, an eagle named Gertrudis, a fawn named Granizo, two turkeys, and a black cat. Diego even built all the animals a small pyramid to play in! Frida loved her pets dearly, so much so that Fulang Chang, Bonito, Señor Xolotl and the black cat can be seen in some of her paintings. Frida’s injuries affected her her entire life, and she had at least 30 surgeries. In fact, her paintings are all on small canvases, because she was only able to paint while sitting or laying down. When Frida had to wear casts, she would often decorate them with colorful designs. Eventually, her leg got so sick that it had to be carefully removed by doctors to prevent the illness from spreading from her leg to the rest of her body, and after that she began using an artificial leg. In 1950, she spent almost a whole year in the hospital, and in 1951, she started using a wheelchair. Frida was very sick after the removal of her leg, but she did not let that stop her. She once said: “I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.” Determined not to miss her first solo art exhibition in Mexico City, Frida arrived at the art gallery in an ambulance, was carried inside on a stretcher, and she laid in bed during the exhibition! After many years of medical issues, Frida passed at age 47. But she has had a huge impact on society, even decades after her passing. The famous painter became an icon for women’s rights, as her work fearlessly depicted the troubles many women face. Frida also shone a light on disability, proving that she could do anything she set her mind to despite her own physical challenges. Frida traveled around the world in her beautiful, indigenous outfits, and brought attention to Mexican culture through her art and self expression. Today, she is a pop culture icon, and her art is displayed in museums all over the globe, in countries like Mexico, the United States, France and Japan. Frida has inspired generations after her to follow their dreams, overcome obstacles, and live life to the fullest. And as for La Casa Azul— after Frida’s passing, Diego donated their house to the government, as a museum, and it is still there! Many people from all over the world visit Frida’s home to admire her paintings and belongings. If you ever find yourself in Mexico City, make your way to Coyoacán and you can check out the infamous blue house yourself!