Tote bag Frida Kahlo

One of the most important artists of the 20th century, Mexican painter Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderón is known for her self-portraits, bold colours and depictions of Mexican culture and the female experience.

Frida Kahlo, who suffered from polio as a child, began to paint in 1925 while in a body cast recovering from a near-fatal bus accident that marked the beginning of lifelong physical suffering.

Over the course of her career, she created highly imaginative, sensual and introspective paintings that fused elements of surrealism, fantasy and folklore. Her paintings express her physical trauma as well as her emotional distress caused by her turbulent relationship with husband, fellow artist Diego Rivera, who she married twice.

The exploration of self-identity is a constant throughout her work: almost half of her paintings are self-portraits. Kahlo did not sell many paintings in her lifetime, although she painted occasional portraits on commission.