Who's YOUR hero? We asked if you'd like to give a shout-out to YOUR female heroes... and Caitlin responded with this lovely piece!
Caitlin says:
You may recognise her as 'the woman with a huge eyebrow and the flowers in her hair' but did you know why she is one of the most iconic female figures in third-wave feminism? And what a tragic and sad life she led? Read on to find out why she means so much to me and inspires me through my life as a young woman.
She is one of Mexico’s most revered artists but it wasn’t until the bus she was riding on got hit by a street-car at the age of 18, that she started to paint. Lying in a hospital bed, whilst her broken body tried to heal, got extremely boring for her, so she picked up her paintbrush and painted all her pain onto canvas.
I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.
The accident left her with a persistent limp and a need for more surgery; a need that would never cease all her life. Despite her injuries, she led quite an active early-life and delved into the stimulating world of Mexican politics. It was here she met her husband, the revered muralist and leader of the Mexican Communist party, Diego Riviera.
Although she painted faces (mostly her own) she rarely painted just what was on the outside. Like a lot of Mexican folk art, Frida's paintings "interweave fact and fantasy as if the two were inseparable and equally real," (Hayden Herrara, biographer)
What makes Frida so inspiring to our generation of budding feminists, is not only the subject matter for her paintings - gender equality, heartbreak and sickness to name a few - but the life she led, despite her wealth of injuries. She defied the female beauty standards of her day, letting her body hair run wild and unplucked. Despite this, she is still considered in the eyes of history as beautiful. To me, this is courageous. One of my favourite Frida-moments is when she posed for a family photograph and appeared wearing a three-piece suit, hair slicked-back, hand in pockets. Completely owning the photograph.
I think we can all learn from Frida, as we carve our way through life. If I'm ever stuck in what to do or too scared to be myself I always stop and think "What would Frida do?" and almost always end up happier for it.
May I also recommend for older readers, the biopic film 'Frida' starring Salma Hayek and implore you all to independently find out more about this real-life wonder woman.
Cathy says:
A perfect post for just after International Women's Day - and Frida Kahlo just happens to be one of MY all time heroes too! Who inspires YOU? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!
Caitlin says:
You may recognise her as 'the woman with a huge eyebrow and the flowers in her hair' but did you know why she is one of the most iconic female figures in third-wave feminism? And what a tragic and sad life she led? Read on to find out why she means so much to me and inspires me through my life as a young woman.She is one of Mexico’s most revered artists but it wasn’t until the bus she was riding on got hit by a street-car at the age of 18, that she started to paint. Lying in a hospital bed, whilst her broken body tried to heal, got extremely boring for her, so she picked up her paintbrush and painted all her pain onto canvas.
I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.
The accident left her with a persistent limp and a need for more surgery; a need that would never cease all her life. Despite her injuries, she led quite an active early-life and delved into the stimulating world of Mexican politics. It was here she met her husband, the revered muralist and leader of the Mexican Communist party, Diego Riviera.
Although she painted faces (mostly her own) she rarely painted just what was on the outside. Like a lot of Mexican folk art, Frida's paintings "interweave fact and fantasy as if the two were inseparable and equally real," (Hayden Herrara, biographer)
I think we can all learn from Frida, as we carve our way through life. If I'm ever stuck in what to do or too scared to be myself I always stop and think "What would Frida do?" and almost always end up happier for it.
May I also recommend for older readers, the biopic film 'Frida' starring Salma Hayek and implore you all to independently find out more about this real-life wonder woman.
Cathy says:
A perfect post for just after International Women's Day - and Frida Kahlo just happens to be one of MY all time heroes too! Who inspires YOU? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!
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