Frida Kahlo

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 through October 15, The Cardinal will feature prominent and historical Hispanic Americans, living or dead, who have worked toward change, advancement, and/or world peace. Some of them are heroes, and some are unsung heroes who deserve recognition, and have made a contribution to society.

Maika Ortega, Staff Writer

September 26, 2025

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist who was known for painting self-portraits after suffering a bus accident at age 18.

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon was born on July 6, 1906 in Coyocoan, Mexico City. Her father was of German descent who immigrated to Mexico where he met Frida’s mother. They fell in love and got married. Frida had two older sisters and one younger sister.

Growing up she struggled with poor health and one time she developed polio where she stayed in bed for six months and even after her recovery she had a limp. When she attended school in 1922, she was the only 35 female students at her school. She quickly earned herself a reputation for her outspokenness and bravery

In 1925 was when Frida was riding the bus home from school when it was struck by a trolley car and she was severely injured. During her recovery was when Frida painted her first self-portrait with the support of her parents who made her a special easel so that she could paint in bed.

In 1929 she became politically active and married another artist, Diego Rivera. The marriage was sadly filled with a lot of infidelity on Diego’s part and Frida desperately wanted to be a mom but couldn’t because of her accident and she suffered many miscarriages.

In 1938 she had a major exhibition where she sold half of the 25 paintings shown. A year later she lived in Paris for a while to exhibit paintings and even made friendships with other artists like Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso.

She created many famous paintings many people love today such as The Two Frida’s, Frieda and Diego Rivera, Henry Ford Hospitalized, and The Broken Column. Kahlo on why she paints self portraits, “I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best.”

Around 1941 her health started to worsen. Once she received a commission from the Mexican government for five portraits of important Mexican women. She was unable to finish the project because her father passed away and because of her health. In 1953, she received her first solo exhibition in Mexico while she was bedridden. She however still didn’t miss the event and arrived by ambulance where she celebrated and talked with attendees in a four poster bed set up for her at the gallery. Sadly she passed away on July 13, 1954.

About the Contributor

Maika Ortega, Staff Writer

Maika is a Hoover student and in her last year of high school. She was born on April 13 in San Diego and her family is from Mexico which makes her Mexican American. She is the oldest child in the family. Her mom actively supports her which makes their relationship with each other so strong. Her favorite food would be Mexican food on top since it’s what she grew up eating and it will always have a special place in her heart. Her favorite drink is Coca Cola and also any Mexican sodas. She likes music, movies, shows, hanging out with her friends and having time for herself. She dislikes people who don’t do their jobs, people that don’t care about politics, and any food with fish in it. She has many goals she wants to accomplish after graduating Hoover like going to college in order to become a pediatric occupational therapist. She would like to move out of the U.S and live somewhere else. One of her biggest dreams is to travel to different places at least once. Her biggest role model in her life that inspires her is her mom because she was the only parent that has been in her life physically and emotionally. What Maika could do to change the world would be to simply be a good person. She believes that if you are able to go on about your day and a good person, not being mean to, but helping people out, you are doing the world a favor instead of being the same type of other mean people in the world. Something she believes society can do in order to make it a better place is to put empathy first. It has always never made sense to her how people can spend their adult grown lives hating on people just for the simple fact that they look, act, sound and do things different from them. People from all over the world feel persecuted and live in fear however people refuse to acknowledge others experiences because it’s easier to ignore it.