Betye Saar
Roberts Projects is deeply saddened to share that Betye Saar passed away in her sleep in the early morning of Sunday, July 26 in Los Angeles, just four days before her 100th birthday.
A pioneering artist and a leading figure in the assemblage movement, Betye Saar will be remembered for a body of work that powerfully interrogated African American identity, spirituality and the intersections between diverse cultures. Emerging as a vital voice during the Black Arts Movement and second-wave feminism of the late 1960s and 1970s, Saar utilized found objects, family heirlooms and vintage ephemera to explore themes of race, gender and historical memory. Her practice transformed everyday items into groundbreaking artworks and installations, cementing her legacy as one of the most influential artists of our time.
Among Saar’s most iconic works is her 1972 assemblage, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, which places a stereotypical mammy figure holding a broom and a rifle, transforming a symbol of servitude into a warrior of Black liberation. Another foundational work, Black Girl’s Window (1969), utilizes an old window frame as a structural device to merge autobiographical elements with mysticism and racial identity.
Saar’s seven-decade career has been the subject of numerous exhibitions at museums around the world, and her work is represented in the collections of more than ninety institutions globally. Her extraordinary body of work has established her as a landmark figure in contemporary art, with a voice that will continue to inspire future generations.
Saar was immensely proud of her family; she is survived by her three daughters, Lezley Saar (Agust Agustsson), Alison Saar (Tom Leeser) and Tracye Saar-Cavanaugh (Francis Cavanaugh) and her grandchildren Kyle Leeser, Maddy Inez, Sola Saar, Gen Saar-Agustsson, Spencer Saar Cavanaugh, Megan Cavanaugh and her red footed tortoise Rojo.
Saar’s legacy has been entrusted to the Betye Saar Legacy Group. Established in 2025 by the artist and her studio in collaboration with Roberts Projects, the legacy group is a coalition of leading scholars and esteemed curators from global institutions, each hand-selected by Saar for their expertise in different areas of her multidisciplinary practice and stands as a testament to the enduring importance of her life and work for future generations.
There are many opportunities to celebrate and engage with Saar’s work during her centennial year: including notable exhibitions such as Betye Saar’s Black Dolls at the New York Historical Society, on view through October 4, 2026, Betye Saar: Drifting Toward Twilight at the Huntington Library on view through November 30, 2027 and Let’s Get It On: The Wearable Art of Betye Saar, on view at Roberts Projects Los Angeles through August 22, 2026.