Welcome to LOVR Atelier. In this series, we take the time to slow down – appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. The artists and creators we profile are the thought leaders that have shaped the creative world we now inhabit.

In the first instalment of the series’, we’re taking a closer look at iconic visual artist and visionary, Frida Kahlo.

INTROSPECTION AND DETERMINED PURSUIT

Born in 1907 in Coyoacán, Mexico City, Kahlo’s early life was a life punctuated with illness and adversity. At six years of age, she contracted polio, which left her with a permanent limp – an early struggle which fostered her character defining resilience. Despite the many challenges she faced throughout her childhood, Kahlo determinedly pursued her dream of studying medicine. That is until, at eighteen years of age, a tragic traffic accident left her bed ridden with multiple painful fractures. In an attempt to cope with the physical and emotional pain of her recovery, Kahlo began to paint.

This period of introspection and creativity catalysed her career as an artist, sowing the seeds of creative work that would come to render her as one of the most recognisable and celebrated painters of the twentieth century.

Kahlo’s signature style, characterised by bold colours and raw vulnerability, is one of the most widely recognised internationally. Through her vivid and often surreal aesthetic, she bares the deepest recesses of her psyche and soul. Inarguably, Kahlo’s most popular work is “The Two Fridas”, in which two versions of the artist sit side-by-side, bearing their bleeding hearts on the outside of their bodies –  a moving exploration into the acceptance of her multiple, co-existing identities.

UNFILTERED CREATIVITY THAT REBELS AGAINST SOCIETAL NORMS

Kahlo’s influence endures, resonating beyond the realm of the art world. Through her unfiltered creativity and unwavering strength, she has come to symbolise the rebellion against limiting and small-minded societal norms. So much so that her likeness has been reproduced across a wide range of industries and mediums – everything from fashion all the way through to political propaganda.

To this day, thousands of visitors make the pilgrimage to La Casa Azul, which is now a symbol of and an enduring testament to both her life and her legacy.

By channelling the hardship and adversity she faced into her art, Kahlo carved a path for herself as an enduring icon – one who is, and will continue to be, widely recognised throughout the world.

‍