Bio
American, born 1930, lives in La Jolla, California, and Englewood, New Jersey
Faith Ringgold grew up in Harlem, and pursued her art studies in New York, earning BS and MA degrees in visual art from City College of New York in 1955 and 1959. A strong voice within a growing community of African American artists working in New York in the 1960s, Ringgold has continued to create artwork that overtly addresses political themes as well as works inspired by her interest in traditional handcraft and folklore. She has never limited her choice of media, and practiced as a painter, sculptor, performance artist, and writer. Ringgold had her first one-person show in 1967 (Spectrum Gallery), and numerous other exhibitions followed, including a major survey at The Studio Museum in Harlem (1984) and a 25-year retrospective that traveled nationally from 1990 to 1992. Ringgold has received eleven honorary doctoral degrees and many awards, including a Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (1987). Since 1985, she has been professor of art at the University of California in San Diego.