The birth of a creative soul

Faith Ringgold was born on October 8, 1930, in Harlem, New York, as Faith Willi Jones. She grew up surrounded by the vibrant culture of Harlem, a neighbourhood that would later become a pivotal influence on her art. Her parents, Andrew Louis Jones and Willi Posey, nurtured her creative spirit from a young age. Her father was a truck driver, and her mother was a fashion designer, who introduced young Faith to the world of fabrics and sewing.

Harlem, rich in history and culture, served as a fertile ground for Ringgold’s creativity. The Harlem Renaissance, a period of significant artistic and cultural growth, left an indelible mark on her artistic vision. It was during this time that Ringgold discovered her passion for art, finding inspiration in the works of artists like Aaron Douglas and Romare Bearden.

Ringgold pursued her passion for art through education, earning a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Education from The City College of New York in 1955. In 1959, she obtained her master’s degree in Art from the same institution. This solid foundation in arts education equipped her with the tools and knowledge to embark on a successful artistic career.

A multidisciplinary artist emerges

Ringgold’s artistic prowess extends across various disciplines, including painting, textiles, and sculpture. Her early works, such as the “American People Series”, were primarily focused on painting. She soon began exploring other mediums, eventually discovering her love for textiles and quilting, and ultimately fusing elements of the two techniques. 

This combination of traditional African-American quilt-making and modern painting allowed her to create visually striking and deeply personal artworks.

Ringgold’s iconic story quilts can be traced back to the late 1970s, when her created her first quilt, “Echoes of Harlem”. These story quilts, which often depict scenes from African-American history, have now become synonymous with Ringgold’s oeuvre.

Her 1988 piece, “Tar Beach”, part of the renowned “Woman on a Bridge’ series”, exemplifies the power of her story quilts to address social and political issues. In this work, Ringgold portrays a young girl lying on a rooftop in Harlem, dreaming of flying over the George Washington Bridge. The piece the work embodies themes of freedom, escape, and aspiration. 

Ringgold’s foray into sculpture has also garnered attention, particularly her soft sculptures made from fabric. For instance, her 1973 sculpture “Masks”, featuring a multitude of colourful fabric faces, demonstrated the artist’s evolution into evocative, three-dimensional forms. 

At this time, Ringgold was not being given exhibition opportunities in New York, and so had started showing her work outside of the city. In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Ringgold explained that these sculptures were born out of necessity, as she was looking for a way to create art that could be easily transported in a suitcase as she during her travelled.

One of these pieces, ”The Wake and Resurrection of the Bicentennial Negro” (1976), was a powerful multi-media performance by Faith Ringgold, born as a response to the celebration of the United States Bicentennial (the commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776). 

The piece challenged the notion of unbridled patriotism, shedding light on the painful history of slavery and ongoing struggles for true freedom. In her memoirs Ringgold reflected, “We had no reason to celebrate two hundred years of American independence: for almost half of that time we had been in slavery, and for most of the following years we had still been struggling to become fully free.”

Through the story of Buba and Bena, Ringgold wove together themes of commemoration, resurrection, and empowerment. Inspired by African beliefs surrounding the afterlife, the performance mourns the loss of these characters and then brings them back to life, symbolising their release from suffering and newfound liberation.

The sculptural ensembles that made up the performance, from the main figures of Bena and Buba to the mourners Moma and Nana, were meticulously crafted with fabrics that reflect cultural heritage and symbolism. The use of textures, colours, and embellishments further enhances the emotional impact of the piece.

Accompanied by recordings of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic speech and soul-stirring hymns, the performance created a profound atmosphere that invited reflection and contemplation; challenging the audience to confront complex and painful truths, whilst offering a glimmer of hope and transformation.