I painted this portrait of Frida Kahlo because she had this way of putting everything out there. She shows her pain, identity, and culture all right on the canvas. And I am, trying to capture a fraction of that honesty in my own way.
The first thing that struck me when painting Frida was how her eyes look. It's not just about her story but about being seen, of here history and experience. Painting her felt less like a creative exercise and more like a quiet conversation or, like she was staring me down.
Finding Connection in the Details
Frida's work was deeply personal, almost painfully so. She painted her struggles, her joys, her identity. That's what makes her art hit so hard, and it's what I tried to capture. The balance of strength and vulnerability in her face says more than words ever could.
In this painting, I focused on the contrast, I wanted to capture in black and white with and smudges and distortions because her life was full of it. Chronic pain, resilience, love, culture, all expressed in her face. Sometimes I had to step back and remind myself not to overthink it, to let the rawness come through without smoothing it all out.
