Raymond Saunders, a multimedia artist known for his enigmatic, sociopolitical paintings and assemblage style, has died at age 90. His passing was announced jointly by his representing galleries—Casemore, Andrew Kreps, and David Zwirner—on Instagram. Saunders's work often explored the Black American experience through extensive use of black paint and complex narratives, as articulated in his influential 1967 essay "Black Is a Color." His first career-spanning retrospective, "Flowers from a Black Garden," recently closed at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, his hometown. Saunders had a long teaching career in the Bay Area and received numerous honors, including a Rome Prize Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Saunders's death marks the loss of a pivotal figure who challenged the art world's expectations of Black artists, insisting on artistic freedom over entertainment or didacticism. His work remains in the permanent collections of major institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art. His legacy is cemented by his intellectual contributions, particularly his essay "Black Is a Color," which continues to influence discourse on race and art. The recent retrospective at the Carnegie Museum of Art underscores his belated but significant recognition, ensuring his work will reach new audiences for decades.