Betye Saar, an influential artist renowned for her assemblage work that confronted themes of ritual, racism, and religion, has died at the age of 99. Saar’s art notably recontextualized found objects to challenge stereotypes and evoke deeper cultural and spiritual meanings.

In 1972, Saar participated in a group exhibition of Black artists at the Rainbow Sign community center in Berkeley, California. During this event, she presented “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” an assemblage featuring the stereotypical figure of Aunt Jemima transformed into a symbol of empowerment. The piece placed the character inside a glass-fronted box, holding a toy rifle in one hand and a mop in the other, blending imagery of servitude with a stance of resistance. Prominent activist Angela Davis later credited the work as pivotal in advancing the movement for Black female empowerment. Saar continued to explore racist iconography that same year with other provocative pieces, including “Let Me Entertain You,” which incorporates imagery of Black minstrelsy and lynching, and “I’ve Got Rhythm,” where a toy skeleton is attached to a mechanical metronome adorned with a newspaper clipping about a lynching.

Saar described herself as a “conjure woman,” drawing on African-American folk healing traditions. Her art often resembled shrines assembled from an array of found materials such as glass beads, broken jewelry, and everyday scraps. After being inspired by African art at the Field Museum in Chicago, she traveled to Nigeria in 1977 and later visited Senegal, Brazil, and Haiti, where she investigated alternative religious practices, particularly those rooted in African diaspora cultures.

Works such as “Gris Gris Guardian” (1990-93) and “Mojotech” (1987) exemplify her blending of ritual objects with modern elements. “Gris Gris Guardian,” a miniature painted cabinet, includes items like candles, feathers, and corn husks, symbolizing a Voodoo protective amulet, while “Mojotech” juxtaposes charms and Voodoo symbols with electronic components, creating a contemporary altar. Saar explained that her creative process itself was a ritual of accumulation and purification, meant to invite viewers to form their own connections to the pieces.

Born in 1926 in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saar was the daughter of Jefferson Brown, a YMCA administrator and insurance clerk, and Beatrice Parson, a seamstress. The family moved to Pasadena, but after her father’s death in 1931—partly attributed to delayed medical care due to racial discrimination—Saar was raised by her great-aunt Hattie, who significantly influenced her life and later became the subject of her work “Record for Hattie.”

Saar pursued art education at Pasadena City College, UCLA, and California State University, Long Beach, focusing on design, education, and printmaking. She married ceramicist Richard Saar in 1952 and initially worked in homeware design. The turning point in her practice came in 1967 when she encountered an exhibition of Joseph Cornell, whose assemblage sculptures inspired her to embrace unconventional materials.

Throughout her career, Saar’s innovative approach combined social critique with spiritual inquiry, leaving a lasting impact on contemporary art.