Faith Ringgold

(United States of America, 08/10/1930 - 13/04/2020)

For the Women's House (1971)

Growing up surrounded by the thriving Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s, Ringgold was immersed in a community where creativity, political thought and African American culture flourished, and this vibrant environment shaped her lifelong belief that art could be a powerful vehicle for social change.

From an early age, Ringgold was determined to express her vision of the world through art, never hesitating to challenge conventions or question inequality with her bold colours and myriad techniques. Her use of bold colours, dynamic compositions and a variety of techniques became her signature, reflecting both her artistic innovation and her deep commitment to truth-telling.

After enrolling to study fine art at the City College of New York in 1948, Ringgold was forced to instead study art education, as women were only allowed to enroll in certain courses. Undeterred, Ringgold used this opportunity to refine her technical skills while developing a sharp awareness of the structural inequalities that limited women and people of colour and, after earning her Bachelor’s degree in 1955 and completing her Master’s in art education in 1959, she spent several years teaching art in New York public schools.

At the height of the Civil Rights movement, when many artists were failing to address the political tumult around them and the media failed to document the violent truth, Ringgold left her teaching career to pursue art full-time, dedicating herself to work that would speak directly to the social realities of her time.

Ringgold’s work confronted the violence, segregation and systemic racism that her community faced daily and acted as a powerful reminder that gave dignity and respect to African Americans Her work was, at first, overlooked by the white-dominated art world, but today it is recognised as some of the most seminal of the twentieth century, hanging prominently in institutions around the world.

In the 1980s, Ringgold switched from painting large-scale canvases and murals to conveying her narratives in quilts. Having learnt quilt-making from her mother and grandmother as a child, as was tradition among enslaved women in pre-Civil War U.S., Ringgold’s collaborations with her mother and grandmother resulted in an entirely new art form that combined textiles with painting, perfectly suited to supporting and valorizing the experience of African American women.

Ringgold’s art remains a testament to resilience, creativity and activism. Her quilts, paintings, and sculptures not only honour cultural figures and her childhood memories of Harlem, but also elevate the voices of women and marginalised communities. Using colour, texture and language, she continues to challenge the art world to see and celebrate the reality of oppression, as well as women’s contributions to society and richness of Black experience, ensuring that art remains a tool for liberation and justice.

Image: Faith Ringgold, For the Women's House (1971). Oil on canvas, 243.8 x 243.8 cm. Collection of New York City Department of Corrections.