Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was a Mexican painter known for her vibrant, self-portraits that explored themes of identity, the body, and death. Her work was influenced by Mexican indigenous cultures, European Realism, Symbolism, and Surrealism. Kahlo's unique style was also informed by the Spanish ex voto tradition of religious painting. After a near-fatal bus accident in 1925, art became a way for Kahlo to express herself and survive.