Frida Kahlo’s life and art were profoundly shaped by the era in which she lived, beginning with her upbringing during the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), a pivotal period of discovering and rediscovering national identity. Born in 1907, she grew up in a time when ideas of national pride (mexicanidad) were gaining prominence, and Mexico was actively seeking to reclaim its indigenous and folk traditions. This cultural awakening deeply influenced Kahlo’s visual language, which blended pre-Columbian symbols with modern forms. Her sense of mexicanidad, rooted in these early experiences, became a defining element of her work as she asserted a distinctly Mexican identity amidst the pressures of modernisation and Westernisation.

Her tumultuous relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera, whom she married in 1929, significantly shaped her views on art, politics, and identity. Rivera, a leading figure in Mexican muralism, was known for his Marxist ideals and political murals, which strongly influenced Kahlo’s political consciousness. Their time in the United States in the 1930s - where Rivera famously painted the controversial mural for the Rockefeller Center, a potent symbol of capitalism - marked a turning point in Kahlo’s growing critique of American industrialism and capitalist values. Rivera’s mural, which included a depiction of Lenin, was destroyed for its political content, reinforcing Kahlo’s own scepticism of the American system, a theme she explored in her work.

In Self-Portrait on the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States (1932), Kahlo vividly contrasts Mexico’s rich cultural heritage with the sterile, mechanised landscape of the United States. Her discomfort with America’s obsession with progress and consumerism is palpable in this piece, which highlights her growing awareness of the contrasting paths Mexico and the US were taking in the modern world. This period sharpened Kahlo’s commitment to asserting Mexican identity, especially as global forces of capitalism and imperialism seemed increasingly pervasive.

Kahlo’s exploration of femininity in her self-portraits was equally radical. She not only challenged traditional gender roles but also questioned Western standards of beauty, as seen in works like Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair (1940). By presenting herself in masculine attire and defying conventional ideals of female beauty, Kahlo opened up a conversation about the fluidity of identity and the rejection of imposed norms. In doing so, she also hinted at an exploration of Mexican beauty standards, contrasting them with the Western ideals that often dominated cultural discourse. Her unique portrayal of herself sought to redefine femininity through a distinctly Mexican lens, tied to her deeper exploration of national identity and cultural pride.

Frida Kahlo’s art, shaped by personal struggles, her relationship with Rivera, and broader societal changes, serves as a profound commentary on identity, gender, and political dynamics. Her self-portraits questioned not only her place in the world but also Mexico’s, making her a defining figure in both art and cultural history.