Artist Betye Saar died Sunday morning in Los Angeles at the age of 99, according to relatives who confirmed her death on Monday. Saar would have turned 100 later this week. She was widely known for work that explored Black identity, culture and spirituality.
Saar was regarded as a central figure in the Black art movement of the 1960s. Her art focused on themes tied to race, history and belief, and her work became closely associated with efforts to expand how Black life and experience were represented in the art world.
Across her long career, Saar developed a distinctive body of work that connected personal reflection with broader cultural meaning. The recurring attention to identity, heritage and spirituality helped make her one of the most recognized artists working in those themes.
Her death marks the loss of a major artist whose influence extended across generations. Coming just days before her 100th birthday, the news also renews attention on a legacy built around powerful artistic explorations of Black identity, culture and spiritual life.
