Earlier this month, renowned visual artist Faith Ringgold, whose body of work crossed paintings, sculptures, performance art and widely acclaimed story quilts, passed away at the age of 93. Throughout her career, not only did she leave an indelible mark in the creative space, but she was also well-known for her dedication to Black liberation and feminism.
Ringgold was already a committed artist when the Black Power movement gained momentum and she had a deeply personal interest in the topics it raised – not just those on how to navigate as a Black individual in a racially biased white society but also how to thrive as a woman in any society, including the art world specifically.
“No other creative field is as exclusive to non-white and non-male individuals as the visual arts,” Ringgold once said. After I decided to be an artist, the first thing that I had to believe was that I, a Black woman, could penetrate the art scene and that, further, I could do so without sacrificing one iota of my Blackness, my Femaleness, or my humanity.”
This refusal to compromise her core essence was a major part of what made Ringgold an iconoclast in her field. Her oil paintings and posters from the 1960s onward made a significant political impact, demonstrating her support for the movement as well as her active involvement against the exclusion of Black and female artists by prominent museums such as New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art.
We’re taking a moment to celebrate Faith Ringgold’s life today, and have put together a collection of five of her most noteworthy artworks, along with details on where you can find them. Her passing is a huge loss, but her unwavering commitment to her craft and her determination to challenge the status quo will continue to inspire future generations of artists. It also serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of art and the importance of fighting for equality and justice.
The Civil Rights Triangle, 1963 (from the American People Series, currently at the Glenstone Museum in Maryland)
Ringgold’s American People series is perhaps her most notable collection. It captures the complex emotions that Black Americans went through during integration, but The Civil Rights Triangle is one piece from the collection that stands out in particular. It depicts a white man at the top of a triangle formed by Black men, a powerful statement about the long-standing dominance of white leaders in the NAACP. It also highlights the challenges faced by Black Americans, even within a civil rights movement that fought for their freedom.
Big Black, 1967 (from the Black Light series, currently at the Pérez Art Museum, Miami)
Big Black, the first painting of Ringgold’s Black Light series, are depictions of mask-like faces, reflecting her interest in African art and design. The works, painted in different shades of black (she resisted using white in any of her paintings during this period), embody her participation in the Black is Beautiful movement, painted within defined, geometric, abstract shapes and color fields that symbolized important events of the late 1960s, such as race riots and the Apollo missions to the moon.
Who’s Afraid of Aunt Jemima?, 1983 (currently at the Glenstone Museum in Maryland)
Arguably Ringgold’s most famous story quilt, named after the Edward Albee play, Who’s Afraid of Aunt Jemima? Ringgold challenges the racist depiction of Aunt Jemima as the mammy stereotype. Instead of portraying her as a one-dimensional character, Ringgold gives her a story, showing Aunt Jemima with a family and dreams of her own. Ringgold wanted to counter the harmful stereotypes Black women often face by portraying Aunt Jemima as a successful woman who is happy with her family.
America Free Angela, 1971 (Details at the National Museum of African American History and Culture)
In 1971, Ringgold created “America Free Angela”, a poster made with lithographic ink on cardboard. She gave a copy of the design to Angela Davis and donated the original to our museum. Explore: https://t.co/pwviXGhjNl pic.twitter.com/NvyWwklM3j
— Smithsonian’s NMAAHC (@NMAAHC) April 15, 2024
Ringgold passionately defended Black activist, scholar, and author Angela Davis. Ringgold’s collage, inspired by the motifs of the Kuba tribe of Central Africa, was her way of showing support for Davis during the international movement that followed her arrest.
For the Women’s House, 1971 (currently stored on Rikers Island)
A massive mural made by Ringgold for the Women’s House of Detention in NYC with a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts in 1971, For the Women’s House was installed on Rikers Island in 1972. It sparked the beginning of Art Without Walls – Free Space, a program aimed to make the lives of incarcerated individuals better. Ringgold was well-known for supporting this group through her art and activism, even visiting Rikers Island every month to offer courses on a variety of subjects, from theater to drug addiction prevention.
