Invitation to Create Frida Kahlo Inspired Flower Crown

Frida Kahlo was one of the greatest Mexican artists of the 20th century. She grew up during the Mexican Revolution, an event that heavily influenced her life and art. At the age of 6, Frida contracted polio, which left her with a slightly deformed and shorter leg. When she was only 18, Frida suffered a bus accident that profoundly impacted her health throughout her life. While recovering in the hospital over many months, Frida began to paint. Her parents provided her with an easel, and—as she was the subject to which she had the greatest access—rigged up a mirror above her hospital bed. Due to these incidents, Frida turned to fashion to express and conceal her differences. Her one-of-a-kind vibrant colors, exquisite floral crowns, and geometric embroidery set her apart, as she paid tribute to her origins while expressing her deep Mexican pride.

Her flower crowns were a nod to the traditional mode of dress in the Tehuantepec Isthmus, in the southeast part of Mexico. Kahlo used her headpieces, iconic full skirts, square blouses, and accessories not only to underscore her identity as a Mexican artist, but also to gird herself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Flowers also played a symbolic role in her art and life, representing beauty, life, and the resilience of the human spirit. Today, after reading stories about the artist, we extended an invitation to create Frida Kahlo-inspired flower crowns.

We set up our tuff tray with Bio Color paint from Discount School Supply and cut-outs of different flowers. We invited the children to freely paint the flowers. After the flowers dried, we sketched an outline of her face on two poster papers and taped all the beautiful flowers in her hair.