ARTISTS (current) EXHIBITIONS VIEWING ROOMS FAIRS NEWS ABOUT CONTACT © Fernando Botero in his atelier, Paris, 1990, Bron T for tout, photo : Manuel Litran One of the most successful and famous artists working today, Fernando Botero is known for his paintings and sculptures of exaggerated, voluptuous forms. His art celebrates a remarkably vivid, vital reality through the exaltation of volume and colour and mostly depicts the comedy of human life – moving or wry, baroque in expression, sometimes with a mocking observation, sometimes with a deep, elementary emotion. An artist is attracted to certain types of forms without knowing why. You adopt a position intuitively; it is only later that you try to rationalise or even justify it. -Fernando Botero © Fernando Botero in his atelier, Paris, 1990, Bron T for tout, photo : Manuel Litran The circus allows one to be logical and unreal at the same time. In the circus, all is possible: there can be a man with two heads or a character with a green face. -Fernando Botero The artist, painter and sculptor Fernando Botero poses in his studio on the eve of his eightieth birthday. Monte Carlo, March 15th, 2012. (Photo by Massimo Sestini/Mondadori via Getty Images) (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Dancers, circa, 2003 Bronze 67 x 42 x 26 cm / 26.4 x 16.5 x 10.2 in Enquire People think I am a painter of fat women, but I draw volumes. -Fernando Botero Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero poses with one of his paintings in his Paris studio. Sygma via Getty Images / Getty Images I have never worked with models. A model for me would be a limitation to my freedom to draw or paint. I have never put three objects on a table to make a still life. Nor have I ever placed myself in a particular place to reproduce a landscape. In fact, I don't need anything in front of me. My choices of characters are arbitrary and all are the fruit of my imagination. -Fernando Botero Fernando Botero's sculptural works are mostly inspired by the art of Ancient Egypt and early American cultures. The latter are also a reference to the cult of fertility, recalling prehistoric idols. My work is a self-portrait of my mind, a prism of my beliefs. -Fernando Botero © Journal Un Suceco Nacional LaVoz When I paint an apple or an orange, I know that it will be possible to recognise them, and that I am the one painting them, because I try to give each painted element, even the simplest one, a personality that comes from a deep conviction. -Fernando Botero Join our mailing list for updates about our artists, exhibitions, events, and more. About Careers Terms This website uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By using this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Accept X