An icon, a cult figure, or an archetype of art? Who was this slip of a girl in the early 20th Century who brought Mexico to centre stage in the world and has been creating hysteria ever since? What did she portray so vehemently that propelled her to stardom and secured her place at the very heights of the art fraternity? What is her legacy? To understand the magnitude of her art, one has to unravel the emotional and cerebral process of the persona and look deep into a life that was tortuous, times that were changing and history that was in the making. Highly autobiographical, Frida Kahlo's 143 known paintings were intellectual, turbulent and explicit. The leitmotif of her work was love, life and loss in a Mexico in flux politically, socially and culturally. Sexuality, maternity, infidelity and gender equality are strong statements in her work. Her art is radical in its representation of women and their role in society, a shocking travesty at a time when feminine depiction in art was a celebration of beauty and chastity. Born around the Mexican revolution, Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón belonged to the intellectual and political sections that embraced greatness easily. But it was the story of a young girl's life and the continuing incidents of trauma and torment that shaped the mature Frida. And in her art she poured out every anguish and agony she witnessed or was subject to. But Frida's work did not simply depict the pain she was undergoing. She transcended that pain and transformed her realities. Frida's superhuman qualities of forbearance and survival shine brilliantly in her work. Her strength and fortitude are the lasting statements. Her vibrancy and zest for life are portrayed vividly. Nature as a life force is inherent in her paintings, as is the Mexican landscape. ~Nandita De ne Chatterjee~ Senior Editor & Former Journalist