Frida Kahlo, the legendary Mexican artist, remains one of the most influential and iconic figures in art and culture. Her work, deeply personal and infused with pain, love, and identity, continues to inspire people worldwide. Beyond her paintings, her words carry immense power, reflecting her strength, resilience, and unique perspective on life. This article presents 45 of Frida Kahlo’s most inspiring quotes, offering a glimpse into her mind and the wisdom she left behind.
45 Inspiring Frida Kahlo Quotes to Live By
On Life and Resilience
1. “At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”
2. “Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.”
3. “Only one mountain can know the core of another mountain.”
4. “You deserve the best, the very best, because you are one of the few people in this world who are honest to themselves, and that is the only thing that really counts.”
5. “Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.”
6. “The most important part of the body is the brain. Of my face, I like the eyebrows and eyes.”
7. “I paint flowers so they will not die.”
8. “I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.”
9. “Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?”
10. “Pain, pleasure, and death are no more than a process for existence.”
On Love and Passion
11. “Take a lover who looks at you like maybe you are magic.”
12. “I want a storm to come and flood us into a song that no one wrote.”
13. “You can invent colors that do not exist.”
14. “I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best.”
15. “I love you more than my own skin.”
16. “I leave you my portrait so that you will have me all the days and nights that I am away from you.”
17. “I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.”
18. “I am that clumsy human, always loving, loving, loving. And loving. And never leaving.”
19. “I do not want you to think like I do. I just want you to think.”
20. “I wish I could do whatever I liked behind the curtain of ‘madness.’”
On Art and Creativity
21. “I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.”
22. “They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn’t. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.”
23. “I don’t paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.”
24. “I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.”
25. “I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to.”
26. “Painting completed my life.”
27. “The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to.”
28. “I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim.”
29. “Revolution is the harmony of form and color.”
30. “I hope the exit is joyful and I hope never to return.”
On Strength and Self-Worth
31. “I suffered two grave accidents in my life. One in which a streetcar knocked me down… The other was Diego.”
32. “I was born a bitch. I was born a painter.”
33. “I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.”
34. “To trap one’s self-suffering is to risk being devoured from the inside.”
35. “I love you more than my own skin, yet I know you don’t love me as much.”
36. “There is nothing more precious than laughter.”
37. “Don’t build a wall around your suffering. It may devour you from the inside.”
38. “I am not fragile like a flower. I am fragile like a bomb.”
39. “I used to think I was the strangest person in the world, but then I thought, there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me.”
40. “Never be afraid to be different.”
On Identity and Existence
41. “I hope the leaving is joyful, and I hope never to return.”
42. “I am my own muse, I am the subject I know best.”
43. “What I wanted to express very clearly and intensely was that the reason these people are alive is because they were alive in the first place.”
44. “I wish I could do whatever I liked behind the curtain of ‘madness.’”
45. “You didn’t understand what I am. I am love. I am pleasure. I am essence. I am an idiot. I am an alcoholic. I am tenacious. I am; simply I am.”
Conclusion
Frida Kahlo’s words, like her art, remain raw, profound, and deeply human. She spoke with a fearless voice, embracing love, pain, and the complexity of existence. Her legacy continues to inspire people to embrace their uniqueness, express themselves freely, and persevere through the trials of life. Whether through her paintings or her words, Frida Kahlo’s spirit endures, reminding us to live authentically and unapologetically.
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