Frida Kahlo is one of the most influential artists ever, but do you know her whole story? Born July 6th, 1907 in Mexico City, Frida’s life had pain from the beginning. At age 6 Frida had been diagnosed with polio. While this did leave her bedridden for several months, she survived and only had minor deformities in her arms and legs. Twelve years later in her life, Frida was involved in a bus crash. This crash left her seriously injured and caused her to stay in the hospital and in her bed through multiple surgeries.

This bus crash changed her life. While in a long and brutal recovery period, she took up art as a way to pass the time, and express how she was feeling. You can see this crash and other pains in her life illustrated and expressed in her multiple works. While a lot of her work expresses pain, it also expresses other topics including identity, post-colonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society.

Frida Kahlo’s paintings and other drawings have inspired generations of female and LGBTQ+ activists around the world. Her openness to being in relationships with women, her resilience in life, and her courage to be open about who she is and what she believes in have led thousands of others to fight for their rights, stand their ground, and do what makes them happy. Frida Kahlo did what she wanted to do. She broke feminine norms by wearing masculine clothing and painting herself with a unibrow and mustache to show women that they could make their own decisions and take control of their lives.

Frida Kahlo’s works have inspired generations of people to take control of their lives and be who they want to be. Frida Kahlo has become a staple in activism for LGBTQ people and women across the world.