Suvi's Reviews > The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait

If you're about to read this expecting a traditional 'what I did today' -diary, you're in for a big surprise. Then again, if you already know Frida Kahlo you wouldn't really expect that, would you? Originally not intended to be published, through Kahlo's diary you get inside her head in the form of letters, notes, automatic writing and sketches. So much so, that you feel a bit rude for invading her thoughts. I don't claim to understand automatic writing, and even though Frida isn't a Surrealist, she occasionally seems to be using the same technique in her writings. I'm so far only visually into Surrealism, so for me those passages were the most difficult and confusing.

But in the whole, is the diary really meant to be understood by someone other than her? Frida's writings and pictures together create a beautiful chaos, that helps you get a little bit closer to her art. Even you didn't understand everything, you can still feel the emotions that Frida went through when her health slowly deteriorated, and the love she had for Diego and pre-Columbian symbolism and culture. If you already admire Frida's art, this is a must read and a real gem of a companion piece to her paintings.

I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.

The book itself had a little problematic layout, because the explanations and translations are all stuffed into the back of the book, forcing you to flip through the pages. The Finnish translation also had quite a bit of problems in terms of spelling. Not a huge thing, but stuff like that always sticks out when it's repeated a few times.