I was born in Lebanon and grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in Beirut. After the Six Day War, my family immigrated to Israel. I went to high school in Bat Yam and did my Baccaluréat at the Lycée Français in Natanya. I then studied French Literature and History of the Middle East at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and pursued my studies with a Master's degree in Communications. Following that, I was the press attaché at the French Consulate in Jerusalem for seventeen years.

Sculpting in stone has always been my passion. For many years, I pursued it as a hobby. Lately, it has became my full-time profession.

There is something very enjoyable and satisfying in doing what you really like. I find that making art involves the physical and spiritual inner forces that exist in me and that I want to express. My sculptures combine many aspects of my personality: sensuality, intuition, softness, rudeness, spontaneity and technical abilities. The result is a piece of art that contains many of these contradictory fascinating elements.

Stone has a special meaning for me: similar to a human being, it needs to be handled with prudence and patience. If you apply too much force, it may break. But if you treat it with care, it will reveal its wonders. Viewers are free to interpret the piece as they feel at this particular moment of their lives.

I think my sculptures are more than just a visual experience - you are welcome to touch them. But remember: sculpting is a long and difficult process. Please touch with care and only with clean hands. Contact with the stone is a powerful experience. Try it and see how it affects the way you conceive the sculpture and connect to it.

1984-1986 Philadelphia School of Art
1990-1995 Paul Taylor Studio
2005-2010 Reuven Sharf Studio
2009 Madeline Weiner Symposium, Marble, Colorado

Bet Ha'Omanim, Jerusalem
Paul Taylor Studio Jerusalem
Redwood Gallery, Marble, Colorado
Reuven Sharf studio, Houlda Kibbutz
Gallery Gebo, Tel Aviv

Fortunee Szpiro
f.szpiro@yahoo.com
www.FortunaSzpiro.com