Abstract: Appreciating Frida Kahlo's paintings requires courage, empathy, and strong psychological resilience, as she does not hide the excruciating pain and despair in her life. She spread her bloody wounds naked on the canvas, and all her scars seemed to shimmer with a strange luster in her self-portraits. However, she did not beg for sympathy or pity, she only sincerely expressed her genuine feelings for physical and mental pain. Frida Kahlo suffered infantile paralysis since her childhood, when she was 18 years old, a tram accident destroyed her whole life. In the later years, she experienced an unexpected miscarriage and was told that she could not give birth to children any longer; and she stayed unbelievable long time in bed due to several failed surgeries and horrible health condition. However, none of the above has stopped her to paint. This article focuses on her five paintings composed in 1932, 1944, 1945 and 1946, which highlight an obvious and strong connection between the pain and artistic inspiration. The profound compositions, backgrounds, details, symbols, metaphors, and contrasts of light and shadow have transformed the pain she experienced into an art that implies patience.
Key Words: Frida Kahlo; artistic expression; pain; symbols; metaphors
