Making a Tribute to Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón.
A feminist, political activist and a painter.
Frida was born in 1907, Coyoacán, Mexico city, Mexico. Her father, Carl Wilhem Kahlo, came from an affluent German origin and began a career as a Photographer in Mexico City. Her mother, Matilde Calderón y Gonzales,
was a housewife, mainly indigenous Mexican origins.
Photograph: Frida at Casa Azul with one of
her Pets, a spider monkey, possibly
"Fulang-Chang" ...
At age of 6 years old, Frida developed polio, making her right leg grow shorter and thinner than the left. Found it difficult at school however continued her studies, was further encouraged from family and close friends to draw and express herself via colours.
Growing up with three sisters and two step sisters from her father's previous marriage, Frida personally felt that there were too many ladies in the house. She was quite close and preferred the company of her father. Mr Kahlo as a professional photographer, taught Frida how to pose for self portraits. Practising and seeing herself in front of a mirror in different and particular angels, then posing for the cameras. She would also assist in the developments of photographs along with other family business projects.
In 1922, Frida was one of few females students who were accepted and attended National Preparatory School. She studied natural sciences and aimed to become a physician. The school encouraged political views, local and national cultural identity as well as the indigenous origins of Mexico. It was then, as a young student where the interest of art, becoming an artist slightly began, also the first time Frida met Diego Rivera, a well established muralist.
The unfortunate horrendous tram accident in 1925, where a trolley tram collided with a bus, left 18 year old Frida handicapped for life. Such a tragical accident as she suffered several fractures on her body and spinal column, she was obliged to wear most times an upper body plaster cast corset and was confined for three months at home on her bed. Several specialists prognosis, gave her very little chance to survive. As Frida forcedly, was confined at home and continued with several operations. Most, stated that it was the real beginning of her artwork, diaries, drawings, paintings, expressing her pains, frustrations, sufferings via her art work.
Frida, created 143 paintings and 55 of them are self portraits. Her first self portrait named Self Portrait in 1926, where she looks elegant and refined, wearing like a wine coloured red velvet dress, was mainly dedicated to win back her boyfriend "Alejandro" and it worked. His parents however refused their courtship and he was sent to Europe for further studies. Frida's parents, saw her deep sadness and disappointment. Accordingly, her family positively encouraged her to demonstrate the Self Portrait to Diego Rivera. The appointment was made, where she had the opportunity to ask his sincere opinion of her work. The apparent meeting went quite well and also sparked the beginning of a romantic relationship.
On her second self portrait named Time Flies, where she stands in the middle of two dark green coloured curtains, she wears traditional Mexican jewellery and a simple white short sleeve dress, there is a clock on her left side and a war plane slightly above her head. The painting was finished the same year she decided and married Diego Rivera in 1929. Frida's family were completely against the marriage, due to age gap of 20 years and also the fact that he was previously married with multiple relationships and children.
Diego and Frida had a turbulent married life where both had several extramarital affairs, were divorced in 1939 however remarried a year later. Most times physically lived apart and had separate lives. In San Angel, they had two houses next to each other whereby a bridge linked in the middle between them. Frida, had multiple miscarriages, specialists mentioned that it was due to her tragic accident, the sad reality she had to also accept that motherhood was impossible, even though she really wanted to bear a child.
Strongly, continued, her life by embracing her Mexican heritage, cultural background, historical, traditions with fashion, art and literature. Frida, self taught as a painter and further learned, profound other art skills with Diego Rivera. Most thought, Frida was part of the Surrealist movement however she always strongly disagreed as she believed that she was merely expressing her personal life, experiences, emotions via writing, art and paintings. Several times, since her parents re-arranged her bedroom, she would paint from her bed, sometimes painted the plaster cast corset she was wearing by holding a mirror on one had and a paint on the other hand.
Diego and Frida shared passion for the arts, politics and the indigenous cultural side of Mexico. Became highly involved in political parties and were part of "Mexicanidad", they reveled, assisted rallies, protests and demanded more rights for the indigenous culture, communities of Mexico. Political parties were mainly man, thus Frida had to fight her place as a women, to be involved and included along side of Diego. She broke barriers in society, gave stronger corage to women for independence and freedom during times when most women in Mexico did not have an academic background, were in difficult times and did not have a role model. Frida, encouraged women to be free, independent, to become profetional, gain further studies, have a career and develop skills thus not to financially depend on a partner. Apparently, also greatly influenced the children of Diego, the girls were happy with her, one of them Dr Guadalupe Rivera became a first lady university graduate. She continued in later years visiting schools, encouraging students, especially girls to gain higher education.
Most of Frida paintings have all sorts of Mexican traditions, specially indigenous culture. Her Pets, most Mexican breeds, through out her entire life and specially after the accident, played a major role, not only as companions but also as part of peaceful emotional healing. She had parrots, rabbits, spider monkeys, cats, dogs, even white-tailed deer. Each pet had their own instinctive name for instance a spider monkey named "Fulang-Chang", a deer named "Granizo" and a dog named " Mr Xolotl" .
Several self portraits were dedicated to Frida's Pets, one named "Fulang-Chang and I" dated 1937, whereby Frida has her long hair loose along on her right side of body, wearing ivory coloured dress and her Pet, a spider monkey, there is a long light rose coloured ribbon of which goes around Frida and around her Pet, uniting all together as one. Some stated that monkeys may represent unborn children, since Frida could note conceive, whilst others believe, the indigenous Mayan, Mexican mythology of monkeys representing the sacred and the divine of this world. Monkeys, being primate animals the closest to the humans races.
On another Frida's Self Portraits with her pets, a painting named "Self Portrait with Changuito" 1945, whereby Frida has traditional indigenous Mexican braided hair style and wears a shall, one of her spider monkey on her left, a small hairless dog on her below right, a small Mayan statue on far right and like a golden yellow ribbon circling around and uniting each figure, all together as a whole. It is very significant, symbolic as these are local Mexican breeds and also represent part of indigenous Aztec, Mayan, meaning a newborn human has a counterpart of an animal, that a person's date of birth has their fate related to the animal on the Mayan Calendar.
Her inspirational folk art as most of times added writings, explanations, narratives on her drawings and paintings. Even in her personal life, she wore from head to toes, Mexican traditional outfits. Further, found ways of acceptance of her physical disabilities, constant pain, frustrations and continued to try to be positive, further healing via her writings, Art Work and most importantly having support from companions, close friends, family and especially her Pets at her home "Casa Azul" ...
"I never paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality ...
At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can" Frida Kahlo
*** Below, a rare voice recording of which may possibly be Frida Kahlo, duly recorded in 1955 at a radio program called "El Bachiller" ...
***Click below, our Vintage inspired products ...
*** Further below, short footages on Frida's private life ...
*** Click below, join our "VIP" Exclusive Membership ***