What Was Frida Kahlo’s Painting Style?

Renowned female Latina artist Frida Kahlo used a painting style that combined her Mexican culture, symbolism, surrealism and influences from her personal life. Utilizing this combination of motifs resulted in Frida Kahlo becoming one of the most studied artists of modern times.

Frida Kahlo’s adoration for her Mexican culture was displayed by using vivid colors and the colors of the Mexican flag. Symbolism, which is prevalent in Mexican art, is also seen in her paintings where she depicted animals that symbolized the tone of her pieces.

Many critics identified surrealism —an art form combining dreams and reality — in Kahlo’s work, but she disagreed. After experiencing a tragic car accident, miscarriages and a tumultuous marriage, she felt that she was simply displaying her reality and personal life experiences.

The complexity of her painting style continues to remain a popular subject of study for many art scholars.