Faith Ringgold (1930-2024): Championing Art, Activism, and Equality
Faith in her studio. Photographer: Brad Matthews
Faith Ringgold’s artistic journey is a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of activism, feminism, and a profound commitment to social justice. Born in 1930 in Harlem, Ringgold received classical training as a painter and sculptor at the City College of New York in the 1950s. As an art student, Ringgold soon became aware of how rife racism and sexism still were, laying the foundation for a career that would challenge societal norms and amplify the voices of marginalised communities. Associated with her ties to feminism, postcolonialist critique, and activism, she addressed controversial subject matter through various media, including painting, sculpture, performance, and quilt work.
Faith Ringgold, American People Series #20: Die, 1967. Oil on canvas, two panels, 182.9 x 365.8cm. © Faith Ringgold / ARS, NY and DACS, London, courtesy ACA Galleries, New York
In 1963 Ringgold painted her first political collection, the American People Series. This collection depicted racial interactions from a female perspective and confronted fundamental racial issues in the United States. She dubbed her collection American People as the start of her mature artistic venture. This series describes the coexistence of the diverse races in the United States; the American flag in the work represents the false notion of a united front. The mural-sized paintings narrate the prejudice and segregation which affected (and continues to do so) the 1960s USA, leading to the civil uprisings.
Despite facing initial challenges and limited success, Ringgold’s activism grew stronger, advocating for women’s representation in mainstream art exhibitions and collections, especially of Black women. She demonstrated against the exclusion of Black and female artists by institutions like New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art in 1968–70.
Faith Ringgold, The Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles: The French Collection Part I, #4, 1991. © 2024 Faith Ringgold / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, Courtesy ACA Galleries, New York
Ringgold’s approach evolved, shifting away from political agitation to embrace a more optimistic presentation of Black female heroines. She saw art as a powerful tool for expression and social change. In 1980, Ringgold collaborated with her mother to create her first story quilt, Echoes of Harlem, marking the beginning of her iconic painted story quilts. These quilts, a traditional American craft associated with women’s communal work rooted in African culture, are infused with personal narratives. African American history became a cornerstone of her artistic expression. The naive, folk-art quality of the quilts blends painted images, sewn fabric, and handwritten texts, where Ringgold emphasises narrative over style, conveying information with simplicity and authenticity. She wove the lives of African Americans and Black women into her quilts, which she called paintings made in the medium of quilting. Ringgold began writing stories on her quilts so that when hung up or photographed, people could still read the stories. At the time, no one would publish the autobiography she had been working on, making her work both autobiographical and artistic.
Today, Ringgold’s art serves as a timeless reminder of the power of creativity to inspire change and challenge perceptions. Her work resonates with audiences, offering glimpses into the past while illuminating the possibilities for a more just and equitable society. Faith Ringgold’s legacy as an artist, activist, and advocate for equality will forever be celebrated and remembered in the annals of art history.
Faith Ringgold is the recipient of more than 80 awards and honours, including the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts Awards, The American Academy of Arts and Letters Award and the Medal of Honor for Fine Arts from the National Arts Club. In 2017, Faith Ringgold was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Boston, MA.
Ringgold’s work is in the permanent collections of numerous museums in the United States and abroad including The Art Institute of Chicago, IL; The Baltimore Museum of Art, MD; The Boston Museum of Fine Art, MA; The High Museum, GA; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Museum of Modern Art, NY; Whitney Museum of American Art, NY; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NY; The Brooklyn Museum, NY; The National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC; The Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA; The Studio Museum, NY; Glenstone Museum, MD and The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England, among others.
Suzette Bell-Roberts is the Co-founder and Digital Editor of ART AFRICA magazine.
