Pioneering American artist Betye Saar has died at the age of 99, just days before her 100th birthday. A defining figure of the Black Arts Movement, Saar transformed found objects, family photographs and racist memorabilia into powerful assemblages exploring identity, spirituality, memory and resistance.

Her landmark 1972 work, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, reclaimed a demeaning stereotype as a symbol of Black female power. Saar continued creating well into her nineties, leaving behind an extraordinary body of work that changed how everyday objects could be used to confront history and tell deeply personal stories. Associated Press