How do I teach Frida Kahlo and self-portraits?
How do I teach Frida Kahlo and self-portraits?
Teach Frida Kahlo through close reading of a few self-portraits, focusing on the symbols she chose and what they say about identity, pain and heritage. Then have students make their own self-portrait built around personal symbols rather than a copy of her style. This page covers common pitfalls, classroom moves, a five-lesson sequence and a ready-made unit.
See the Kahlo unitChoose two or three self-portraits, such as Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird and The Two Fridas. Students describe each closely, list every symbol, and propose meanings supported by what they see before learning about Kahlo's life in Mexico, her injuries and her ties to Mexican culture. Then they plan a self-portrait of their own using three or four personal symbols, and write a short artist statement explaining their choices.
Ready-made material
High School Art History Curriculum, Grades 10–12
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Why it is hard
What goes wrong when teaching Kahlo
Kahlo is so widely recognized that students often know the image before the art. They arrive with a picture of a brand: flowers in the hair, the eyebrows, bright colors. Lessons that stay there turn into costume and caricature, and a self-portrait project ends up as thirty copies of Frida rather than thirty portraits of students. The opposite problem is reducing her work entirely to biography, so every painting becomes only about her bus accident or her marriage to Diego Rivera, and students stop looking at what is on the canvas. Some of her paintings deal frankly with injury, surgery and loss, and if they are shown without preparation, discussion can turn uncomfortable or flippant. Students also tend to read her Mexican dress and imagery as decoration, missing that these were deliberate statements about identity and heritage. When students make their own work, many find it hard to choose symbols for themselves and fall back on clichés like hearts and stars.
What works
Approaches that work for Kahlo and self-portraiture
Keep the focus on choices: what Kahlo chose to show, and what students choose to show about themselves.
- Show a self-portrait without the title and have students list every object and animal they see.
- Build a symbol chart for one painting with columns for detail, possible meaning and evidence.
- Introduce biography after students have formed a reading, then ask what changed.
- Compare Kahlo with another self-portraitist, such as Dürer or Cindy Sherman, on how identity is shown.
- Have students brainstorm personal symbols from family, places, interests and challenges before sketching.
- Make clear that students are painting themselves and their own story, not imitating Kahlo's look.
Step by step
A five-lesson Kahlo and self-portrait unit
The first three lessons focus on looking and discussion; the last two are studio time. Extend the studio phase if your class works slowly.
- Lesson 1: Looking at one self-portraitStudy Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird with no context. Students describe everything visible, list each symbol and suggest meanings tied to visible evidence, sharing their ideas in pairs first.
- Lesson 2: Life, culture and contextIntroduce Kahlo's life, her injuries, her place in Mexican art and her use of traditional dress. In writing, students revisit their readings and note what the context adds or changes.
- Lesson 3: Two Fridas and identityAnalyze The Two Fridas and compare it with a self-portrait by another artist. Students write a paragraph on how each artist shows identity through choices of pose and symbol.
- Lesson 4: Planning a symbolic self-portraitStudents brainstorm personal symbols, choose three or four, and sketch thumbnail compositions. Peer conferences check that each symbol has a clear reason and that the composition has a focal point.
- Lesson 5: Studio work and artist statementStudents develop their self-portrait in the medium you choose and write a short statement explaining their symbols. Close with a gallery walk and written peer responses.
Ready-made option
A Kahlo unit and companion portrait studies
The High School Art History Curriculum ($179.99, parts bought separately $749.70) includes Frida Kahlo – Self-Portrait and Symbolism, so this topic is ready to teach. The same set holds natural companions for a self-portrait strand: Albrecht Dürer – self-portrait and printmaking, Rembrandt – Portrait and Chiaroscuro and Cindy Sherman – Staged Photography and Identity, along with the Analysing a Painting method unit. Each part is also sold on its own if you only need the Kahlo unit. For a course that puts studio practice from sketch to finished work at the center, Art Complete – High School ($149.90) is the better fit.
Honest limits
What you add around the unit
Art supplies, studio space and the medium for the self-portraits come from you. Images of Kahlo's paintings for projection are also your choice, and it is worth previewing works that show injury or medical scenes before class. You decide how to grade the studio work and the artist statement. Compare the unit with your state's visual arts standards before teaching, since no alignment is claimed. The license covers your own classes, and colleagues sharing it need a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it does not suit you, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
More teacher questions
Which Kahlo paintings are best for high school?
Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, The Two Fridas and Self-Portrait on the Borderline between Mexico and the United States all give students plenty of symbols to read. The Broken Column is powerful but deals directly with injury, so preview it and prepare students before showing it.
How do I avoid students copying Kahlo's style?
Set the rule at the start: the portrait is about you, not about Frida. Require personal symbols with written reasons, and ask students to borrow one idea from Kahlo, such as surrounding the face with meaningful objects, rather than her look. Grade the clarity of choices, not resemblance.
How do I handle students uncomfortable drawing their own face?
Offer options. A self-portrait can be partial, seen from behind, a silhouette, or built mostly from objects and symbols. Some students prefer working from a photo rather than a mirror. The goal is self-representation through choices, which does not require a realistic face or a perfect likeness.
Does this unit match my state's visual arts standards?
The unit makes no claim to match any state's visual arts standards. Most arts standards include analyzing artwork and creating work that expresses personal meaning, so check the lessons against your own state's documents and your course goals before teaching, and add anything you need, such as extra studio lessons.
How do I talk about Kahlo's Mexican identity respectfully?
Present her clothing, jewelry and imagery as deliberate choices tied to her heritage and the cultural movements of her time, not as costume. Avoid dress-up activities. If students in your class share that heritage, invite their perspective without putting anyone on the spot or asking them to speak for a whole culture.
What medium works best for a symbolic self-portrait?
Any medium your class already knows. Colored pencil and acrylic paint suit detailed symbols, collage works well for students less confident in drawing, and digital tools are fine if your school has them. Choose based on time and skill rather than trying to match Kahlo's oil technique.
Self-portraits with something to say
Kahlo shows students that a portrait can tell a whole story through symbols. Pair the prepared Kahlo unit with your own studio project and let students tell theirs.
See the Kahlo unit