About the Artist

Delores Fortuna

Reflecting on my 40-year journey as an artist, I've always let my work stand on its own merit, without the label of a disability. Yet, my narrative intertwines deeply with the Kenny Institute, where my journey took a significant turn. Stricken with polio in August 1949, I entered the institute as a 14-month-old and emerged in 1952, stepping into a world that demanded resilience. It wasn't until I turned 16, after enduring eight orthopedic surgeries at The University of Wisconsin’s Children’s Hospital, that I cast aside my leg braces and crutches. My liberation found its truest expression in the art of ceramics during my college years at the University of Chicago. Wheel throwing offered me an unparalleled sense of movement and freedom, channeling through my hands what my legs could not. Through my work, I aim for my forms and surfaces to embody gesture and flow, mirroring the unspoken journey of my life.

Location: On Display at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute and Available Online