Turn Up The Volume

Famed for his voluptuously sensual figures and vibrant creative energy, there is no one in the art world quite like FernandoBotero. Colombias most beloved artist tells The Peak Malaysia about his exploration of volume, bridging the gap between imagination and reality, and where the essence of art lies.

- Renyi Lim

If only we all had Fernando Botero’s irrepressible artistic spirit and his equally tenacious work ethic. The Colombian painter and sculptor may be in his mid-80s, but he continues to produce his pieces at a steady clip – a source of much delight across the art world, given collectors’ voracious appetites for his work. His 1979 painting, The Musicians, was auctioned by Christie’s for a record USD2.03 million in 2007, while Sotheby’s 2011 Fernando Botero: A Celebration sale amassed a total of USD7.5 million.

Even leaving the numbers aside, Botero remains a remarkable tour de force in both the art industry and wider mainstream culture. His distinctive artistic style, which features characters with round, voluptuous shapes, means that the viewer not only sees a painting or sculpture with their eyes but registers the work on a deep-rooted, instinctual level in the way it inhabits and shares the space it’s been placed in. (If you’re keen to experience it for yourself, head to the Drawing Room of The St Regis Kuala Lumpur, where an enormous 2.5-tonne sculpture, simply entitled Horse, overlooks those enjoying their afternoon tea.)

So what qualities, then, are embedded in his art that makes these creations so relatable and universally appealing, yet intriguing enough to capture our attention time and time again? It is, as he explains, a matter of language – one that speaks volumes in every way.

TRUE TO FORM