Faith Ringgold, one of the most influential artists of her generation, has passed away at the age of 93. The artist is best known for her innovative “story quilt” artworks that narrate the history of the Civil Rights Movement, as well as her activism and more than a dozen illustrated children’s books. The artist’s passing was confirmed by ACA Galleries, which has represented her exclusively worldwide since 1995.
Ringold was born in Harlem in 1930 and studied art at the City College of New York, where she also received a master’s degree. The artist first reached mainstream acclaim with the 12-foot painting American People Series #20: Die (1967), a bloody fight scene of racial violence that appeared at her first solo show at Spectrum Gallery, New York of the same year. Staged at a time when the artist was engaged in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, the work was acquired by the MoMA in 2016.
In 1971 Ringgold co-founded the Where We At artist collective for Black women with artists including Dindga McCannon and Kay Brown, which protested the lack of representation of Black and women artists in American institutions. In the 1980s, the artist reached widespread acclaim for her “story quilt” works, painted canvases surrounded by fabric borders embedded with text. The most famous of these is Tar Beach 2 (1990), which fuses the artist’s memories of growing up in Harlem with elements of fantasy. In 1992, the artist published her first children’s book, Tar Bridge, which follows a character that takes flight over the George Washington Bridge.
Ringgold was also a prominent educator. In 1970, she began teaching at the Pratt Institute in New York and later became professor emeritus of art at the University of California, San Diego. In the last few years, the artist had a string of notable solo shows including the Serpentine Galleries in 2019 and the New Museum in 2022.
“Faith leaves behind an impactful legacy of activism and advocacy for diversity and inclusion that has left a lasting mark on the art world, inspiring countless others to use their voice as a tool for social change,” said Dorian Beren, president of ACA Galleries. “We will miss her deeply, and remain committed to continuing this legacy by sharing her work, philosophies, and life with the world.”
