Frida Kahlo

Mexican painter

Modern influential 121 sayings

Sayings by Frida Kahlo

I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.

1950 — Interview with Raquel Tibol
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

My work is the synthesis of my life, my love, my fears, my pains, my desires, my dreams, my hopes, my beliefs, my thoughts, and my struggles.

Undated — Letter to a friend
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid of pain.

Undated — Diary entry
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I wish I could write to you, but I can't. I can only paint.

Undated — Letter to Diego Rivera
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I want to be with you, to touch you, to kiss you, to feel you.

Undated — Letter to Diego Rivera
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am not a feminist. I am a human being.

Undated — Attributed, often cited in discussions of her political views
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I love you with all my heart, but I hate you with all my soul.

Undated — Letter to Diego Rivera
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I will paint you, me, and the world.

Undated — Attributed, often cited in discussions of her artistic commitment
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am not an artist. I am a woman who paints.

Undated — Attributed, often cited in discussions of her identity
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am not an angel, but I am not a devil either. I am a woman.

Undated — Attributed, often cited in discussions of her complex personality
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.

1953 — Interview with Time Magazine
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I drank to drown my sorrows, but the damned things learned how to swim.

1953 — Diary entry
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

I am my own muse, the subject I know best.

1953 — Interview with Time Magazine
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I think that little by little I’ll be able to solve my problems and survive.

1940 — Letter to Dr. Leo Eloesser
Humorous Unverifiable

Diego, there have been two great accidents in my life. One was the trolley, and the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst.

1953 — Diary entry
Humorous Unverifiable

The most important thing for everyone is to be able to live and be happy.

Uncertain — Letter
Humorous Unverifiable

I wish I could live without my uterus.

Uncertain, likely 1940s — Diary entry
Humorous Unverifiable

I want to be inside your dreams.

Uncertain — Letter to Diego Rivera
Humorous Unverifiable

I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim.

Uncertain — Often attributed, but exact origin and verification challenging; widely circulated.
Humorous Unverifiable

What do I do with my love? I keep it.

Uncertain — Letter
Humorous Unverifiable