Frida Kahlo: A Life in Pain“They thought I was a surrealist, but I wasn't. I have never painted dreams. I painted my reality,” said Frida Kahlo describing her artwork (Frida Kahlo n.d.). Kahlo was a mid-20th century Mexican artist. She was born on July 6, 1907 in Coyoacan, Mexico, and is the daughter of German and Mexican descent (Lucie-Smith 1999). Throughout her life Kahlo faced many difficulties caused by illness, heartache and love. She became famous for her disturbing self-portraits, radical politics, and that infamous unibrow (Stephen 2008). The turmoil began early for this young woman. At the age of six she was struck by polio, which left her walking with a limp. From the beginning Kahlo had no intention of becoming an artist. She attended school at the Preparatory to become a famous doctor (Frida Kahlo n.d.). It was on September 17, 1925 that the most crucial moment of his life occurred. Kahlo was walking home from school when she was involved in a tragic bus accident. She was discovered by her boyfriend at the time, Alejandro Gomez Avais. His slender body had been impaled by a handrail (Lucie-Smith 1999). Many, including doctors, thought he wouldn't make it. She was proven wrong after surviving several surgeries. For a year she was put in bed to recover. The accident left her with a broken back, a broken pelvis and a crushed leg. During her convalescence she taught herself to paint by studying the Italian Renaissance (Frida Kahlo n.d.). He began painting portraits of family members and still lifes from his bed. It was at the Preparatoria that she met her future husband, Diego Rivera, a famous Mexican muralist; it was love at first sight (Stephen 2008). Kahlo would reunite... middle of paper... The feelings you get when you look at Kahlo's artwork are strong. A person either hates it from the moment they see it because it's awful or they love it because it's such a profound work. So much meaning is established in each painting. Works Cited Frida Kahlo. http://www.jlhs.nhusd.k12.ca.us/classes/social_science/Latin_America/Frida%20Kahlo/Frida_Kahlo.html (accessed October 6, 2008).Fuentes, Carlos. "Introduction." In the Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait, 16. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, 2001.Kahlo, Frida. Frida Kahlo's diary: an intimate self-portrait. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2001.Lucie-Smith, Edward. Archive. September 1999. http://www.artchive.com/artchive/K/kahlo.html (accessed 6 October 2008). Stephen, Katherine. "Frida Kahlo: A Full Life, Fully Expressed." Christian Science Monitor, April 11, 2008: 19.