Kahlo’s Artwork, her Love for Mexican Culture, Mexican Coffee and the Mexican Cuisine.

Frida Kahlo & Her Love for Arabica Gourmet Coffee

We dedicate this post to one of the most influential women and artist in Mexican culture: Frida Kahlo. We are proud to present you some interesting facts about her artwork, personal life, personality, and love for Mexican culture and Mexican coffee.

Frida Kahlo de Rivera (1907-1954) is one of the most important Mexican artists.

She was a great painter, political activist and icon of female creativity.

Kahlo is known internationally mainly in America and Europe. During her artistic life she lived in Paris, France, New York, California and Los Angeles.

Frida Kahlo was born, grew up and died in her Blue House in Coyoacan, Mexico City.

The Blue House is today a museum dedicated to Kahlo’s life and artwork.

Kahlo was half German, from her father’s side (her father was a German photographer) and half Mexican from her mother’s side.

She was married to Diego Rivera who is one of the most influential Mexican painters whose frescoes started the mural movement in Mexican art.

Though Kahlo’s artistic life was rich and full of passion, Kahlo’s personal life was not easy, it was marked by tragedy and pain.

When Kahlo was a child at the age of six years old she contracted polio. Later when she was a young woman she suffered a terrible bus accident.

As a consequence of the severe injuries from that accident, Kahlo started suffering from chronic pain and health problems that lasted until the end of her life.

She had also to abandon her medical studies due to that accident.

Kahlo also had to overcome various miscarriages when she was married to Diego Rivera.

She deeply wanted to have a baby with Diego but unfortunately she couldn’t stay pregnant.

The last years of her life were marked by strong pain and loss.

During the last year of her life Kahlo had several operations and finally she lost her right foot and leg, they were amputated to stop the spread of gangrene.

The nature of Kahlo’s death is not clear, there are some speculations.

Her death was reported to be caused by pulmonary embolism but there are also speculations of suicide for depression due to her poor health and limited mobility.

Despite these tragic events, Kahlo’s personality was characterized by her inner strength that helped her to overcome the terrible bus accident and its consequences.

When Kahlo was a child she used to paint as a hobby but she only started her painting career after the bus accident.

Most of her paintings are self-portraits that also portray Mexican popular culture.

In these self-portraits Kahlo articulated the difficult and complex experiences she lived: pain from a terrible accident, her miscarriages and a failed marriage.

She presented these events in a more manageable way giving viewers the inner message of hope to recover and start again.

In her paintings Kahlo also explored issues of identity, post-colonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society.

Kahlo’s artwork has been associated with realism and surrealism.

Kahlo’s paintings were highly regarded in America and Europe.

In 1938 Kahlo had a major exhibition in the New York City Gallery and later in the San Francisco Society of Women Artists.

In 1939 Kahlo lived and exhibited her paintings in Paris, France.

Today Kahlo is an international cultural icon. Kahlo’s legacy includes her paintings, her political commitment and her influence on the feminist movement in Mexico.

Kahlo is also remembered for her intelligence, courage, passion, vision, commitment, independence, strength and pride for Mexican culture.

We always remember Kahlo dressing in the colourful and traditional Tehuana dress from Oaxaca.

She was also proud of the Mexican cuisine; she was fan of Mexican food and loved having fresh Mexican food every day made at home, like Oaxacan mole, stuffed chillies (chiles rellenos), Café de olla (Mexican style Coffee), tamales, tortillas etc.

Kahlo really loved Mexican food because it is rich in flavours and aroma, and because Rivera’s bad mood used to vanish as soon as he smelled the delicious dishes cooked by Kahlo at home.

Frida Kahlo was also a coffee lover. She loved Arabica Mexican coffee: Altura Maya Chiapas and Pluma Oaxaca which are the best coffees grown in Mexico.

Kahlo used to have many cups a day of hot Mexican Arabica coffee during her long talks with Diego Rivera, when meeting with friends, while getting inspiration to paint and during her painting work.

Kahlo’s love for Mexican coffee was immense, and for this reason she wrote this quote: “You deserve a lover who takes away the lies and brings you hope, coffee, and poetry.”

We really hope you have enjoyed this post that we have written to you.

You are always welcome to visit our blog where you can read more post about Mexican culture, the Mexican cuisine, coffee recipes and facts about Mexican Arabica coffee.