what is frida kahlo known for

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter known for her brilliantly colored self-portraits that confront themes such as identity, the human body, and death. She is often identified as a Surrealist, although she denied the connection. Kahlo was born to a German father of Hungarian descent and a Mexican mother of Spanish and Native American descent. She contracted polio at the age of six, which left her with a slight limp, and later suffered a bus accident that caused her to endure chronic pain and undergo multiple surgeries throughout her life. Kahlos work is inseparable from her life, and she frequently depicted her own image as her favorite subject. Her physical and emotional pain, as well as her turbulent relationship with her husband, fellow artist Diego Rivera, are common themes in her approximately 200 paintings, sketches, and drawings. Of her 143 paintings, 55 are self-portraits. Kahlos art has been called folk art due to traditional elements, and some call it Surrealist, although Kahlo herself said, "They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasnt. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality". Kahlos fame has been growing after her death, and she is regarded as one of the most influential artists in 20th-century art.