Patricia Fortlage

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 documentary career working with organizations doing just that. From her powerful piece covering the female-led Othakarhaka Foundation in Southern Malawi to the stereotype breaking, female empowering Wonder, Girl! campaign, to an ongoing project depicting the often life-long after-effects of sexual assault on women, Patricia has promoted female empowerment one project at a time.

She began her career by studying a degree in political science and international relations; however, she changed her focus to photography once she realized that change can also be affected through this medium as well. Her contributions in humanitarian aid and documentary photography have taken her to over 60 countries, witnessing extreme poverty, unthinkable disease, violence, and destruction of life. She has also experienced beauty of spirit, resilience, optimism, and a human kindness that knows no boundaries or borders. This beauty has inspired her to relay those stories. Patricia learned a lot during her work as a documentary photographer in developin...

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at University of California at Davis, California USA

SELECT EXHIBITIONS
2025: Ontario Museum of History & Art, 13th Biennial Ontario Open Exhibition, Ontario, CA: “On The Menu”
2025: Brea Gallery, Made in California, Brea, CA: “Dead Tired”
2025: The Ebell of Los Angeles, A Woman’s Place: Visual Voices, Los Angeles, CA: “Dead Tired”
2025: Pasadena Museum of History, 100 Years – 100 Images, Pasadena, CA: “Object Recall,” “The Breath”
2024: Gallery 612, Moments, Santa Monica, CA: “Object Recall”
2024: Soho Photo Gallery, APA New York Annual Group Exhibition, New York, NY: “Slipping Mask”
2024: Center for Fine Art Photography, Center Forward, Fort Collins, CO: “No Simple Tasks”
2024: Clamp Gallery, Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards, New York, NY: “The Breath,” “On The Menu,” “Resilience”
2024: Oglethorpe University Museum of Art with Ikouii, The Gaze, Brookhaven, GA: “The Breath,” “Recharging,” “Resilience,” “Am I Me?,” “Slipping Mask,” “All In Your Head,” “Frequent Flyer,” “Hollow Hands,” “Troubling Thoughts”
2024: Brand Library & Arts Center, Works on Paper, Glendale, CA: “Object Recall”
2024: Brea Gallery, Made in California, Brea, CA: “No Simple Tasks”
2024: Hyde Gallery, Trauma, San Diego, CA: “Self-Sabotage”
2024: Photo Place Gallery, Self and Others, Middlebury...