US Artist Betye Saar Dies at Nearly 100, Known for Political Assemblages on Black Identity
Betye Saar, the influential American artist known for her highly political assemblages exploring Black identity and challenging racial stereotypes, died on Sunday in Los Angeles, just before her 100th birthday. Born in 1926, Saar gained prominence in the 1970s as part of the Black Arts Movement. Her most famous work, 'The Liberation of Aunt Jemima' (1972), transformed a racist advertising caricature into a freedom fighter using found objects. Saar's practice involved assembling thrift store finds, family heirlooms, and historical ephemera to question race, gender, and historical memory. Rediscovered late in life, her work was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in 2019. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2021 and founded the Betye Saar Legacy Group in 2025 to preserve her work.
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