The Art of Fernando Botero

Fernando Botero (Medellin, Colombia, 1932) is the best known Latin American artist from the second half of the 20th century still active today. Coinciding with his 80th birthday, this publication pays tribute to the career of a painter, draughtsman and sculptor who has developed his own, instantly recognisable style, and who celebrates a remarkably vivid, vital reality through the exaltation of volume and colour. This biography will offer us an intimate and visual tour in Fernando Boteros's art through the words of his son Juan Carlos Botero who outlines his father's place in contemporary art, examines the main themes in his work, and discusses his artistic principles.

Fernando Botero (b. 1932) is the most prominent living painter of our time, his voluminous figures instantly distinguishable. The Colombian artist studied at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid before traveling to Paris and Florence to expand upon his understanding of fine art. In 1958, he gained widespread exposure after winning first prize at the Salon de Artistas Colombianos. In the last three decades, he has achieved international recognition for his many paintings, drawings, and sculptures, with more than 50 exhibitions around the world. Botero continues to be an active member of the art community, working primarily in Paris, Monaco, and Pietrasanta, Italy, near the quarry where his sculptures are constructed.