Channeling Frida Kahlo

Positivity and creativity while quarantined

💛One of the last pics I took before that quarantine life and it feels extra special to me now. Like a souvenir from my last outing and museum visit (*gasp* for now!) Yesterday I caught myself sitting at home, being petty and mopey. BUT THEN I was reminded that Frida Kahlo spent 3 months in a full body cast, immobile after a horrific bus accident. She also had polio as a child and plenty of hardship throughout her life. Despite everything, she kept painting. So when I look at this portrait, I feel energized with inspiration. I’ve always admired her strength and resilience, but I look up to her now more than ever. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

• There’s always a touch of magic in Kahlo’s art. She was influenced by indigenous Mexican culture, symbolism and folklore. She said, "I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality". Over her lifetime she painted around 55 self-portraits. They give us a glimpse into her surreal world. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
• Kahlo loved animals and often painted her pets. She was unable to have children and treated animals as symbolic replacements in her art. Look at the biggest parrot on the right. Its gaze nearly matches hers. It's like this wise ass parrot is looking right at you, into your soul. Kahlo believed that there was a fine line between life and death, what we perceive as reality and the beyond. The bird’s human-like feel is a signature of Kahlo’s magical realism/surrealism. She was comfortable with the idea of death and rebirth and often contemplated what it meant to be human. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
• This has a strong sense of peace and calm. Her gaze is so confident and magnetic, it’s hard for me to look away. This was made the same year Kahlo’s father died. Also at this time, Kahlo had a relationship with Nikolas Muray who was a well-known portrait photographer. In Hindu imagery, parrots are associated with the love god, Kama. The parrots here could be a subtle reference to their relationship.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
• There was so much going on in her life at the time and I find it inspiring to see a portrait so powerful and beautiful to come out of it.⁣⁣⁣ Guyz, we got dis💛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
“Me and My Parrots” by Frida Kahlo, 1941 at the Whitney Museum