Betye Saar
American, born 1926
Betye Saar uses discarded objects to make assemblages full of memory and spirit. Her materials include tchotchkes, figurines, and advertisements from the Jim Crow era. By recycling items and emphasizing their symbolism, Saar challenges the traditional notions of high art associated with fine art painting and sculpture.
Traveling to Haiti, Mexico, and Africa profoundly influenced Saar’s approach, infusing her work with spiritualism. Her artmaking has become ritualistic, unfolding in a carefully orchestrated five-step process.
Saar uses her art as a platform to address racism and sexism and contribute to conversations about social justice and equality. Through works such as her 1972 Liberation of Aunt Jemima, the artist comments on racial stereotypes.
Explore Selected Works
Artwork

Blow Top Blues, The Fire Next Time
Blow Top Blues, The Fire Next Time
Betye Saar, Judith Solodkin · 1998 · color lithograph and collage on Rives wove paper · Accession ID 2015.115.42
Artwork

Artwork

Mystic Sky with Self-Portrait
Mystic Sky with Self-Portrait
Betye Saar, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 1992 · color offset lithograph with cut-and-mounted addition on wove paper · Accession ID 2023.22.45
Artwork

Dat Ol' Black Magic
Dat Ol' Black Magic
Betye Saar · 1981 · paper and plastic collage on printed cotton fabric · Accession ID 2014.136.225
Artwork

Twilight Awakening
Twilight Awakening
Betye Saar · 1978 · mixed media on printer's wood block · Accession ID 2015.27.1