(AURN News) — According to CNN, artist Betye Saar, whose work explored Black identity, culture and spirituality, has died at 99.
A leading figure in the Black Arts Movement, Saar transformed found objects and racist memorabilia into symbols of resistance and liberation.
Her 1972 work, “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” recast the stereotypical mammy figure as armed and defiant, reflecting Saar’s response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Saar began her career in design before turning to art at age 35, and she continued creating into her 90s.
Her practice included painting, printmaking, sculpture, dolls, washboards and antiques.
Though major institutions often overlooked her for decades, Saar’s work was eventually featured in exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
She also mentored generations of Black artists and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2026.
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