At her very core, Frida Kahlo was a fighter. The image of resistance, of challenging social norms, and of the independent woman ties her portraits and paintings together. Her themes of duality are born out of resistance: Mexican versus European, Christianity versus Aztec beliefs, and masculinity versus femininity. Her relationship with Diego Rivera perfectly encapsulates Kahlo’s duality within herself, an internal conflict that was kindled by the problems of the world around her. She wore traditional feminine Mexican clothing instead of European fashion to show her allegiance to the people of her culture and her hair was long. In later paintings, she’ll resist these ideas, depicting herself with shorter hair, donning a suit, or having facial hair, in part to challenge Rivera’s toxic masculinity. Her inclination for resistance also acted as a duality for Rivera as well — something that attracted him, but also caused tension for them.