Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo was born July 6, 1907, in Mexico City, Mexico.

She was a painter known for her self- portraits and other works that combined
realism with fantasy. Kahlo studied and advocated for Mexico's history and culture
as a child and teenager. She loved her country so much that she often claimed to be
born the same year the Mexican Revolution started in 1910.
As a young girl, Kahlo caught polio, an infectious disease that attacks the central
nervous system and can cause temporary or permanent paralysis. The disease
disfigured her right leg permanently. Kahlo's body would once again be pushed to its
limit when she suffered severe physical injuries in a bus accident as a young adult.
Among other injuries, her right leg was broken in 11 places and her spine had three
fractures. Kahlo had to lay in bed for several months to recover. What better place
to do so than in her family home, La Casa Azul?
Frida Kahlo painted about 150 paintings. Kahlo's father, who was an artist and
photographer, gave her paintbrushes and an empty canvas. Her mother had a
special easel made for Kahlo so she could paint in bed. Even as she suffered
tremendous physical pain, painting allowed Kahlo to discover herself. She fell in love
with the escape art offered and decided to become an artist. In 1929, Kahlo married
renowned artist Diego Rivera. The couple moved to the United States, where Kahlo
continued to paint. Eventually, her artwork began receiving as much attention as her
husband's, and Kahlo became a famous artist herself. She was considered a
surrealist artist-one who tried to release the creativity of the unconscious mind.
Despite her fame and success, Kahlo often felt sad and alone. She had problems in
her marriage and close personal relationships. Her body never fully recovered from
the bus her art to help her cope with these challenges. Many of her paintings were
self-portraits, which depicted the suffering and pain she experienced during different
phases of her life.
In 1938, Kahlo had her first solo exhibition in the United States at the Julien Levy
Gallery in New York City. Her paintings were an instant success and were even
purchased by museums. Kahlo became the first 20th-century Mexican artist to have
her work added to the Louvre museum in Paris, France.
Shortly after the exhibition, Kahlo and Rivera returned to Mexico and settled in San
Angel, Mexico. In 1943, the Education Ministry's School of Fine Arts in Mexico
appointed Kahlo professor of plastic arts. She was passionate about teaching the
next generation. Kahlo's health continued to deteriorate, sometimes leaving her
unable to move for months. She kept teaching from her bed at La Casa Azul even
after her health got worse.
In 1953, she had her first solo exhibition in Mexico. Due to her limited mobility, she
arrived for the opening via ambulance. At the gallery, she interacted with her fans
from a bed. Kahlo died on July 13, 1954. Her family's home was turned into a
museum in honor of the impact she had on Mexican culture and history. Since her
death, her popularity has grown

I think that Frida’s feelings behind every piece are evident to some degree to every
viewer. There is clear pain and sorrow in many of her pieces, but the whimsy, the
colors, the richness…. All of this shows a true love of life and appreciation for
existing. I feel like Kahlo didn’t squander one moment of her life, living fully and
without constraint, despite the controversy it may arouse. I don’t agree with
everything she did in life, and I don’t want to romanticize her as just another tortured
artist, but I think the fact that she created something so beautiful and enduring out
of her pain is a testament to humankind’s immense potential.