Betye Saar

Mixed media artist

I think of the great Betye Saar not only as the groundbreaking assemblage artist who reclaimed racist imagery, who was also a pioneer of the Black Arts Movement, and iconic visual storyteller whose work can be found in prominent arts institutions worldwide including The Smithsonian, MoMA, LACMA, The Tate Modern and beyond—but also, as the gentle, animal lover who, even at age 90 (when I first met her) exuded the energy of someone 25 years her junior.

When I arrived at her home in Laurel Canyon, she greeted me with sparkling eyes, her hair pulled back, a flowing knit outfit and funky cap toe sneakers. She welcomed this stranger with the warmth of an old friend. I watched in delight as she doted on her animals, gently scooping up her beloved turtle Rojo so we could meet eye to eye, and regaling me with tales about  Miss Mojo, her distinguished little pug who, though no longer as mobile as she once was, accompanied her everywhere. I documented her as she created, and was astonished to learn that, as she entered what would be her last decade on this fragile planet, she remained perpetually inspired and prolific. She shared, “As soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning, I’ve already made plans for what I’ll create that day.” We talked about Obama, hope, the state of the world, and what the future might hold.

I met her again, at her opening in NYC when MoMA reopened after a major renovation in the fall of 2019. Surrounded by her incredible daughters (all accomplished artists) and extended family and friends, I captured an image or two her, as admirers entered her electric orbit. I was grateful to have had the honor to spend another moment in her glowing presence. She was a sui generis artist and spirit. Unforgettable and legendary in every way, Betye passed on July 26, just four days before her 100th birthday.

Rest in Power, dear Betye. — Kimberly M. Wang | August 2026

All images © Kimberly M. Wang | eardog.com | @eardogfoto

“I was really motivated by the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968. Before that I hadn’t felt any pressure to make political art. My field in education had been design, and I’d first become involved in printmaking, then started doing other things — portraits, landscapes. But the death of Martin Luther King really did it. The images on television were pretty brutal. You saw the police at war with protesters who just wanted to eat where they wanted or sit on a bus where they wanted. I was a mom with three kids at home; I couldn’t go on marches, but I used my art to release emotional feelings of anger and resentment…The thing in our country is that people haven’t accepted that racism affects all lives.” — Betye Saar

Photographed at the artist’s studio in Los Angeles, CA.
Photos © Kimberly M. Wang | Reproduction is not permitted.