Famous Artists with Disabilities

One of the fascinating aspects of art is its nature which encourages inclusivity and transgression. There are countless artists from different geographies of the world, of different ages, from other races and views, and various disability groups. Here are some of the famous artists with disabilities!

Famous Artists with Physical Disabilities

Some of the famous artists with disabilities we will mention here are physically disabled, which did not prevent their fame from spreading worldwide.

• Michelangelo

Did you know that Michelangelo, whose works left a mark on world art history, was one of the famous artists with disabilities? Michelangelo recorded that he had restricted movement in his hands and feet while creating, designing, painting and building those wonderful works. This problem made the artist's hand movements difficult and limited; experts later thought it must have been gout or osteoarthritis. Despite this obstacle that limited his movements, Michelangelo did not give up on his art and continued to create works that fascinate us all today.

• Ali Stroker

American actress and singer Ali Stroker continued her life in a wheelchair after a traffic accident at the age of two. Stroker, one of the first names that come to mind regarding famous artists with physical disabilities, received the Tony award in 2019. Stroker, who made history as the first wheelchair actress to appear on Broadway in 2015, gradually increased her fame with her performances in many TV shows, especially Glee.

• Francisco Goya

Considered one of the best portrait painters in art history, Goya suffered from headaches, dizziness, hearing loss, vision problems and movement problems due to an unidentified neurological disease. Goya, who continued to draw despite everything, lost his hearing entirely after a while, but he did not think to let go of the brush for a moment. Transforming his art with his body, Goya is one of the most famous artists with disabilities today.

• Christy Brown

Irish writer Christy Brown was born with cerebral palsy, yet his continued writing has made him one of the world's most famous artists with disabilities. Christy Brown, the author of My Left Foot, which caused a splash in world literature, could write using only the toes of his left foot. The book was also made into a movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis.

• John Milton

Paradise Lost, one of the building blocks of world literature history, was written by one of the famous artists with disabilities, John Milton. Nearly twenty years before Milton wrote this epic masterpiece, he lost sight. With the help of his daughters and scribes, he continued to write wonderful sonnets and epics.

• Rahma Khairallah

One of the famous artists with disabilities, Jordanian artist Rahma Khairallah, was born without two arms. Continuing her education in Jordan, Khairallah attended a 13-day mosaic course in 2018. At the end of the period, participants were expected to complete one mosaic tile, while Khairallah had three mosaic tiles at the end of the course. Instructors admired Khairallah's art, and this creative woman has never stopped working on mosaics.

Famous Artists with Learning Disabilities

The world is full of examples of people turning their differences into art and crossing borders. Here are some famous artists with learning disabilities!

• Orlando Bloom

Bloom, remembered for his performance in Pirates of the Caribbean, was diagnosed with dyslexia at 7. He turned this situation to his advantage and became one of the most famous artists with disabilities.

• Daniel Radcliffe

You probably know him for his role as Harry Potter, and you don't see that he has had dyspraxia his entire life. This means that Radcliffe, one of the most famous players in the world, has difficulty doing some motor movements, and his star is still shining despite this restriction.

• Justin Timberlake

Everyone was shocked when Timberlake announced that he had both attention deficit and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in 2008. One of the famous artists with Disabilities, who has nine Grammy Awards and four Emmy Awards, knows how to use his mental diversity as a part of his creativity.

• Louise Marson

Louise Marson's tale, as told in her first solo exhibition at a Melbourne public art museum, is one of loss, isolation, and hope. Louise has had severe depression and acquired brain damage for ten years, and she joined the NDIS and claimed it changed her life and creative work. 'Breath,' Louise's first solo mosaic art exhibition, contains delicate pieces of natural recycled stone, such as marble, travertine, and limestone, with each piece telling a portion of her life.

As Art Masterclass, we are always supporting people with disabilities. The world needs to be accessible to everyone, and we believe you can make art regardless of race, disability, gender or background. Therefore we offer mosaic classes for disabled people to share our love and passion for mosaic art with everybody.

You can read our previous article at https://artmasterclassmosaic.myshopify.com/blogs/news/how-to-grout-mosaic-art.