patricia fortlage, photographer

Patricia Fortlage is an award-winning documentary and fine art photographer. From her core belief that if you invest in women and girls, entire communities will be raised, Patricia has focused much of her career doing just that.

From her powerful piece covering the female-led Othakarhaka Foundation in Southern Malawi to the stereotype breaking, female empowering Wonder, girl! Project, to a project on the often life-long after-effects of sexual assault on women, Patricia has promoted female empowerment one project at a time. She has documented conditions and shared stories of struggle and success, helped to promote tourism in the poorest of nations, and overall, devoted her artistic work to furthering community development. Even now, with a progressive diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis and the physical limitations that it entails, she continues to create work to improve the lives of her sisters everywhere. Even her fine art work seeks to tell a story and inspire change.

Patricia’s hope is for the viewer to have an immediate emotional reaction to her work, as opposed to an intellectual reaction, one that will move the viewer and inspire them in how they themselves move in the world. She hopes to sometimes educate and inspire with her work, sometimes shock and surprise. At its most poignant, she strives to inspire positive change. Her work has been published internationally and she has widely exhibited in solo and juried shows across the globe.