Born in Harlem, New York City in 1930, Faith Ringgold is an American painter, writer, mixed media sculptor and performance artist. For decades, her work has addressed Black and feminist issues in America. She began painting in the 1950s, producing work that was inspired by the writings of James Baldwin and Amiri Bakara, African art, Impressionism and Cubism. Her 1967 painting American People Series #20: Die, a work in MoMA's collection, confronts race relations in the U.S. in the 1960s by evoking the riots that were then erupting around the country. Ringgold's work has been featured in several MoMA exhibitions, including Around “Les Demoiselles d'Avignon” (2019–2021) and Progressions: A Cultural Legacy (1986).