The contemporary art world has lost Chicana artist Yolanda López. After a battle with cancer, López passed away at the age of 79 on Sept. 3.

The sad news was shared through social media by the artist's son, Río Yáñez, where he thanked the support and affection given to his mother.

"Yolanda passed away this morning at 9:12 am. Her breathing began to change last night and this morning she made the transition surrounded by love and support. I am so grateful for the companionship, love, compassion and care her community has shown her during this time," wrote Yáñez.

López's last two months were spent in the privacy of her home in San Diego, California. According to her son, she was always accompanied by artists, activists and friends who gathered to keep her company and not leave her alone.

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego MCASD) also commented of López. In its release, it described López as "one of the most influential Chicana/a/x artists working in California over the past five decades."

López was born on Nov. 1, 1942 into the Chicano community of San Diego.

She was part of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF), a movement of Black, Latino/x, Asian and Native American students connecting their civil rights demands with anti-imperialist struggles worldwide. López had an extensive body of pictorial work featuring women and religious elements. Since the late 1970s, her name and works became a reference in Chicano art for her reinterpretation of the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Family, friends and close members of the artist gathered at the edge of a mural with her image to bid a final farewell.