--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Really, I do not know whether my…" description: "\"Really, I do not know whether my paintings are surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the frankest expression of myself.\" — Frida Kahlo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b4/frida-kahlo-7157_artist_really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-painting_3115242.jpg" --- # Really, I do not know whether my paintings are surrealist… ![“Really, I do not know whether my paintings are surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the frankest expression of myself.” quote by Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b4/frida-kahlo-7157_artist_really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-painting_3115242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b4/frida-kahlo-7157_artist_really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-painting_3115242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b4/frida-kahlo-7157_artist_really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-painting_3115242.jpg) > “Really, I do not know whether my paintings are surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the frankest expression of myself.” [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She acknowledges uncertainty about style but asserts her work is a direct, honest self‑portrait. **In simple terms:** Her art is her truest self‑expression. Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity in creative work. Themes self‑expression artistic identity honesty Mood introspective confident Type artistic personal When to use this quote - gallery exhibition - personal therapy - artist statements Key Concepts surrealism personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does honesty shape your creative process? - What does “frankest expression” mean to you? A Different Perspective Style labels can limit perception of deeper truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Surrealist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrealist/) ## Related quotes > [I never knew I was a surrealist till Andre Breton came to Mexico and told me I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/i-never-knew-i-was-a-surrealist-till-andre-breton-came-to-mexico-and/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn't. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/they-thought-i-was-a-surrealist-but-i-wasn-t-i-never-painted-dreams-i/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [I just play to progressive audiences. You know, if they're watching Discovery Channel, History Channel, that kind of thing, "Monty Python" have already laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/i-just-play-to-progressive-audiences-you-know-if-they-re-watching/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [There is nothing so loathsome as a sentimental surrealist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/there-is-nothing-so-loathsome-as-a-sentimental-surrealist/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Most people are realist. I consider myself a surrealist. Creativy drives past the point of what is real to a wonderland of infinite possibilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrinesha-dickson/most-people-are-realist-i-consider-myself-a-surrealist-creativy/) Andrinesha Dickson > [If I indulge myself and surrender to memory, I can still feel the knot of excitement that gripped me as I turned the corner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/if-i-indulge-myself-and-surrender-to-memory-i-can-still-feel-the-knot/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) > [I've always been a fan of reading art catalogues from exhibitions, and plays, and I've worked with a surrealist German playwright, Heiner Müller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-hval/i-ve-always-been-a-fan-of-reading-art-catalogues-from-exhibitions-and/) [Jenny Hval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-hval/) > [I define Inner Space as an imaginary realm in which on the one hand the outer world of reality, and on the other the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-define-inner-space-as-an-imaginary-realm-in-which-on-the-one-hand/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [The more I look at most of the art movements, it's all occultism, when you get down to it. The Surrealists were openly talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/the-more-i-look-at-most-of-the-art-movements-it-s-all-occultism-when/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [In recent times, Surrealist painters have used descriptive illusionistic academic methods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-arp/in-recent-times-surrealist-painters-have-used-descriptive/) [Hans Arp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-arp/) > [The camera can be lenient; it is can also expert at being cruel. But its cruelty only produces another kind of beauty, according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-camera-can-be-lenient-it-is-can-also-expert-at-being-cruel-but/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Surrealism is anathema for me. Because the surrealists made a joke of everything. And I consider life a tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/surrealism-is-anathema-for-me-because-the-surrealists-made-a-joke-of/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [I tried sex once with a woman and that woman was Gala. It was overrated. I tried sex once with a man and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/i-tried-sex-once-with-a-woman-and-that-woman-was-gala-it-was/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [I got myself into a lovely little shall we say controversy with André Breton, by pointing out that the discipline of spontaneity, which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-thomson/i-got-myself-into-a-lovely-little-shall-we-say-controversy-with-andr/) [Virgil Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-thomson/) > [We are bored in the city, there is no longer any Temple of the Sun. Between the legs of the women walking by, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-chtcheglov/we-are-bored-in-the-city-there-is-no-longer-any-temple-of-the-sun/) [Ivan Chtcheglov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-chtcheglov/) ## More by Frida Kahlo > [Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/nothing-is-absolute-everything-changes-everything-moves-everything/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [“Que todo termina en un instante Planatera doloroso”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/que-todo-termina-en-un-instante-planatera-doloroso/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/tragedy-is-the-most-ridiculous-thing/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [Surrealism is the magical surprise of finding a lion in a wardrobe, where you were 'sure' of finding shirts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/surrealism-is-the-magical-surprise-of-finding-a-lion-in-a-wardrobe/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [To trap one's self-suffering is to risk being devoured from the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/to-trap-one-s-self-suffering-is-to-risk-being-devoured-from-the-inside/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [I love you more than my own skin and even though you don’t love me the same way, you love me anyways, don’t you?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/i-love-you-more-than-my-own-skin-and-even-though-you-don-t-love-me/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light. Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/nothing-is-worth-more-than-laughter-it-is-strength-to-laugh-and-to/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [People in general are scared to death of the war and all the exhibition have been a failure, because the rich - don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/people-in-general-are-scared-to-death-of-the-war-and-all-the/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/i-tried-to-drown-my-sorrows-but-the-bastards-learned-how-to-swim-and/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [“I have not forgotten you — the nights are long and difficult. You too know that all my eyes see, all touch with myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/i-have-not-forgotten-you-the-nights-are-long-and-difficult-you-too/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [Mankind owns its destiny, and its destiny is the earth. We are destroying it until we have no destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/mankind-owns-its-destiny-and-its-destiny-is-the-earth-we-are/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [Take a lover who looks at you like maybe you are a bourbon biscuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/take-a-lover-who-looks-at-you-like-maybe-you-are-a-bourbon-biscuit/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [I paint flowers so they will not die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/i-paint-flowers-so-they-will-not-die/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/feet-what-do-i-need-you-for-when-i-have-wings-to-fly/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [I leave you my portrait so that you will have my presence all the days and nights that I am away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/i-leave-you-my-portrait-so-that-you-will-have-my-presence-all-the/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) [Explore all 83 Frida Kahlo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Really, I do not know whether my paintings are surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the frankest expression of myself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frida Kahlo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-paintings-are-surrealist-or-not-but-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-paintings-are-surrealist-or-not-but-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b4/frida-kahlo-7157_artist_really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-painting_3115242.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b4/frida-kahlo-7157_artist_really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-painting_3115242.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b4/frida-kahlo-7157_artist_really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-painting_3115242.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Really, I do not know whether my paintings are surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the frankest…” — Frida Kahlo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frida Kahlo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Really, I do not know whether...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-paintings-are-surrealist-or-not-but-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/really-i-do-not-know-whether-my-paintings-are-surrealist-or-not-but-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```