Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo’s self portraits inspired our women’s day class
Women’s day was around the corner, so we did a class on Frida Kahlo. I told my class the story of the streetcar accident that led to a life in pain, the loneliness and isolation that spurred her iconic self-portraits, and the stormy relationship with her husband Diego who broke her heart over and over again. We looked at her self-portaits, all the many ways in which she saw herself, and how from the isolation of her hospital bed she lived out all her fantasies through painting.
Frida Kahlo’s self portaits inspired our women’s day art class in prison
Since it was women’s day, we asked our class to give themselves the gifts they want to receive — in their paintings. The women gave themselves colourful clothes and flowers in their hair. Some showed their backs as they left jail, others draped their self-portraits in leaves we had brought in for collage.