Faith Ringgold, the artist known for her work in painting, quilt art, sculpture, as well as for writing and illustrating children’s books, has died at 93, the New York Times reports.

Ringgold was born in Harlem and began painting and drawing as a child, a hobby she picked up because of chronic asthma. She was educated at the City College of New York and worked as a public school teacher for 18 years while pursuing her art career.

She embarked on her first art collection, the American People series, inspired by the civil rights movement, in 1963. She later pivoted to quilt art, and received acclaim for pieces including Who’s Afraid of Aunt Jemima? and Change: Faith Ringgold’s Over 100 Pounds Weight Loss Performance Story Quilt.

In 1991, Crown published Ringgold’s first children’s book, Tar Beach, which won the Coretta Scott King Award. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus praised the book as “beautiful, innovative, and full of the joy of one unconquerable soul.”

Her other books include Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, Cassie’s World Quilt, Bronzeville Boys and Girls (written by Gwendolyn Brooks), and We Came to America.

Ringgold’s admirers paid tribute to her on social media. On X, formerly known as Twitter, art critic Andrew Russeth wrote, “RIP Faith Ringgold, a dauntless and astonishingly inventive artist, activist, author, illustrator, sculptor, and children’s-book legend. The great ideas just kept coming. She was one of the signal cultural figures of our times.”

And artist and author Ayanna Dozier posted, “My fourth grade teacher got me a book of her work and was fundamental in seeing and setting me on the path of pursuing visual art. Her work, especially for children, unlocks a sense of possibility, that they can do it.”

Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.