My midterm project is inspired by Jean Michel Basquiat and Frida Kahlo. I chose these artists, because I feel like I can relate to them the most out of everyone that we have studied this semester. Their stories have inspired to express myself more through painting, and now I use that as a form of meditation or a way to clear my mind. What I love most about Basquiat and Kahlo is that they were unapologetic. Their confidence has encouraged me to be comfortable in my own skin.
After learning about Frida Kahlo and her life, I became obsessed and eager to learn more. She was somehow able to inspire her own work through self portraits without coming off as conceited. Kahlo is the perfect example of a woman who was secure in my own skin despite not meeting society’s standard of beauty at the time. She embraced her uni brow and often exaggerated it through her artwork. I also love how she wasn’t afraid to play with gender roles. If she wanted to masculine one day, she would be that and vice versa. I believe that Basquiat’s legacy still lives on today, because of how unique his artwork is especially in the 80s when he was still around. He was able to make a great living off of his craft, despite the huge difference between his abstract art and traditional museum displays. Without his confidence, he would have never been recognized as the icon he is today. In my portrait, I painted a face that was half Basquiat and the other half Frida, because I see myself in both of them. I chose the words: Bold, Queer, Creative, and Unapologetic, because I feel as though we all have these in common.
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