Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter known for her surrealist self-portraits. She was born in 1907 in Mexico and suffered a devastating bus accident at age 18 that left her in great pain for the rest of her life. While recovering, she began painting and created psychologically complex, surrealist images reflecting her Mexican heritage and fractured body. She married famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera in 1928 and often traveled with him as his career developed, gaining her own fame. Some of Kahlo's most famous paintings include "The Two Fridas" and "Henry Ford Hospital."

1. FRIDAKAHLOMexico’s Painter of Surrealismby Sarah BurtonSarah Burton1

2. Born as Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón In Coyocoán, Mexico City, Mexico, July 6, 1907. Died in 1954 after a long illness. Her Bus AccidentThe Artist in Surrealism PaintingMarriage to Diego RiveraFamous PaintingsExhibitions & CollectionsAbout Fridakahlo2Sarah Burton

3. her Bus accident3Sarah BurtonAt a very important time of her life when she was 18 years old and attending school, she suffered serious injuries in a devastating accident in a bus that left her with atrocious pain that lasted throughout her entire lifetime. While bed-ridden, she started to dabble in paint, escaping her pain and anguish through self-portraits in surrealistic images stemming from her colorful cultural Mexican heritage. These images were psychological from within her fractured body. She came of age in an era of political change with the emergence of Modern Art, on to becoming one of the world’s most renown women artists known for her signature look of dressing in slacks and men’s clothing along with her traditional Mexican hairstyles.

4. The Artist in surrealism paintingFrida Kahlo enrolled at the renowned National Preparatory School, becoming one of the few female students to attend this particular school. She was jovial and full of spirit, with her love of the traditional colorful clothes and jewelry of Mexico fueled her artistic heart. She hung out with several students who were politically and intellectually like-minded with her own. This bend of thought was to mold her mindset towards the emboldened and radical views of the era, during which she joined the Young Communist League and the Mexican Communist Party. During this time, she met world renowned Muralist Diego Rivera, a volatile artist with demons of his own. The two began a romance that would take them around the world and meet fellow Surrealist Artists such as Picasso and Modigliani.4Sarah Burton

5. 5Sarah BurtonMarriage to Diego riveraFrida Kahlo married Diego Rivera in 1928. After their marriage, Kahlo would often travel with Diego as he moved around due to differing locations of his mural projects. They settled briefly in San Francisco in the year 1930 and Kahlo showed her painting “Frieda and Diego Rivera” at the Sixth Annual Exhibition of the San Francisco Society of Women Artists. They soon began to gain fame as demand for Diego’s mural talents grew, moving them onwards to New York City where Diego had his show at the Museum of Modern Art and then to Detroit for a huge commission with the Detroit Institute of the Arts. During this time, Kahlo began to incorporate more graphic and surrealistic elements in her work, such as “Henry Ford Hospital” (1932)

6. “Frieda and Diego”Famous paintings6Sarah Burton“Time Flies”“Joy”Frida Kahlo’s collection of paintings are numerous and are shown on a global scale. More of her work can be seen at http://www.abcgallery.com/K/kahlo/kahlo.html

7. Exhibitions and collectionsThere are numerous exhibitions and collections of works by Frida Kahlo. The most notable have been shown at the following:Philadelphia Museum of ArtMartin Gropius Bau in BerlinSan Francisco Museum of Modern ArtThe most famous personal collection of Frida Kahlo paintings is owned by none other than pop star Madonna. Madonna owns the original Frida Kahlo painting of “The Birth”.7Sarah Burton

8. Cover Art by Jerrold Carton – 2003www.biography.com – Articles – “Frida Kahlo”www.abcgallery.com – “Frida Kahlo”Philadelphia Museum of Art – www.philamuseum.orgNews about Frida Kahlo – www.fridakahlo.it/newsreferences8Sarah Burton