This sketchbook page refers to the hamsa, an amulet in the form of the palm of a hand that is popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Often containing the image of an eye, the hamsa is considered a
defense against the evil eye. The palm of the hand—here a silhouette of the artist’s own—symbolizes fortune for Saar.
Betye Saar
Page from Aix-en-Provence, France/Los Angeles sketchbook, 8 September 2004
Collage and watercolor on paper
Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California. © Betye Saar.
photo © Museum Associates/LACMA