Betye Saar, the influential artist whose work explored Black identity, culture and spirituality, died Sunday morning in Los Angeles at age 99, according to family members who confirmed her death Monday. She would have turned 100 this week.
Saar was a central figure in the 1960s Black Art Movement and became known for assemblage, a form of sculpture that uses found objects. She often transformed Jim Crow-era memorabilia into symbols of Black liberation, according to Roberts Projects, the Los Angeles gallery that represents her.
Born and raised in Pasadena, Saar started her career in design before turning fully to art at age 35. She continued creating into her 90s and was inspired early on by Simon Rodia’s Watts Towers, according to the gallery and earlier interviews.
Among her best-known works are “Black Girl’s Window,” made in 1969, and “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” created in 1972. The latter reimagined racist imagery by placing a rifle and hand grenade in the figure’s hands. Saar also worked in painting, printmaking, sculpture and mixed-media pieces that incorporated dolls, washboards and other antiques.
Her work was shown at major museums over time, including solo exhibitions at the Whitney Museum in 1975 and later concurrent shows at LACMA and MoMA in 2019. Saar also taught and mentored younger artists, including Kerry James Marshall, and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in spring 2026.
