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.