“I have been, and am currently, and always hope to be a Black revolutionary artist, and all that it implies.”

—Elizabeth Catlett, May 1970, in a speech delivered from Mexico to attendees at the Conference on the Functional Aspects of Black Art in Chicago, after Catlett was denied a US visa

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A deft sculptor and printmaker, ardent feminist, and lifelong social activist, Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012) was a defining artist of the 20th century. Across nearly 100 years—from Jim Crow segregation through the Cold War and into Barack Obama’s first term as president—Catlett remained steadfast in her commitment to both her art and her political beliefs.

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