A gush of crimson liquid eerily spewed from her punctured veins and onto her traditional white evening gown. The alleged self-inflicted victim, being a two dimensional Frida Kahlo, lured me into a visual hypnosis as I hesitated to pass up a local replica of Las Dos Fridas (The Two Fridas). This painting, along with Kahlo’s entire collection, is a representation of her own understood reality; colorful, tragic, personal, and exceedingly emotional. Aside from their outlandish elements and grotesque features, Kahlo’s paintings have this distinct aura; an unyielding presence of profound expression. Her utilization of painting as a creative and expressive outlet in coping with her chronically painful injuries and devastating experiences has greatly influenced the way I perceive the world, myself, and others. She has specifically inspired me to be proud of my culture, to acknowledge my natural beauty, to never make excuses, and to always live my life as an ambitious, confident, and exceptional young woman.

I was introduced to her paintings and life story as a child, and could always remember asking myself the question, “Why does she always paint that one thick eyebrow?”. Reflecting on this question, I have come to realize that Kahlo saw no hesitation or shame in portraying herself for who she really was. The superficiality of the world would generally asks this question or ignorantly snicker at the fact that she was born with the infamous “uni-brow”, but Kahlo saw nothing deficient in it at all; in fact, she was proud of it. Through her model of self-acceptance, I have come to better recognize the beauty in where I come from, as well as the beauty in who I am naturally, physically, spiritually, and internally.

“Why is she always portrayed as hurting, bleeding, or crying?” This was another question I would ask that continued to blur the enigma of Kahlo’s alarming style. At the time, seeing such morbid pieces of artwork was initially striking and slightly unpleasant, yet something about the paintings left me yearning for clarification. Through further exposure and research, I later came to interpret her grisly components as representing an underlying message of getting on with life despite personal hardships, as well as rightfully taking ownership of something that she is truly passionate about and physically capable of pursuing. Kahlo’s ingenuity in transforming suffering into something artistic gave not only herself, but those living in similarly unpromising circumstances a sense of hope. As she once stated, “Pies, para qué los quiero si tengo alas para volar” (Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?). This powerful statement allowed me to peer through the eyes of Frida Kahlo’s asset driven mindset. It defined how I should not dwell upon the negatives of any given situation, and rather look toward the positive opportunities and moments that should never be taken for granted. Her indelible strength represents una vida sin excusas (one life with no excuses), thus answering why she depicts such traumatic settings to channel those recurrently agonizing emotions.

The power of artistic expression is profoundly abstract; leaving generous room for ambiguous interpretation. Frida Kahlo, to me, serves as a major historic figure of impact in my life, and because of her boldness in expression, I have been personally influenced by her in better understanding the concepts of self-acceptance, the endurance of hardships, and confidence in demeanor.

Painting: “Las Dos Fridas”-F.Kahlo