Fernando Botero overlooks his art being placed. Photos: Museum of Antioquia
Colombian artist Fernando Botero has just unveiled a collection of 32 oil paintings and 20 drawings in an exhibit dubbed ‘El Circo’, or ‘The Circus’, in Medellin.
True to the world-renowned painter and sculptor’s style, the works feature voluminous, exaggerated subjects — in this case, circus entertainers and animals. The interplay of colour and positioning of the figures belies his usual underlying humour.
“It is my great pleasure to show this new aspect of my work in Antioquia,” the 82-year-old said at the inauguration on Tuesday, February 2. “Here I have never shown circus pictures.”
The collection has already been on display in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, England, Italy and the US, but there are no plans for the collection to come to Bogota, so Rolo fans of Botero’s work will have to make their way to Medellin to see them.
The exhibition runs from February 3 to 17, after which the collection will remain in the Antioquia Museum.
By Mark Kennedy
