Celebrating the Life of Icon, Fernando Botero

As seen in The Villager on September 22nd, 2023. Article by Avalon Ashley Bellos

The Villager honors the life and legacy of the late Fernando Botero who recently passed on Friday, September 15th, 2023 at the age of 91. A Colombian artist of international prestige, Botero’s work broke boundaries of our societal views on perception and people, and expanded our understanding of aesthetics. His trademark, enlarging and rounding his portrayals of the human form and everyday objects, “invites viewers to question the preconceived notions of beauty… provoking contemplation on the delicate balance between excess and deficiency” (A. Bellos, p. 25).

Botero was a talented artist from a young age, influenced by European masters such as Diego Velázquez and Francisco Goya. With a paintbrush or pencil in hand, he turns the ordinary into extraordinary. The Villager goes into depth on his most impactful works, highlighting “The Presidential Family,” “Still Life with Mandolin,” and “The Mona Lisa, Age Twelve.”

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Botero accentuated the human form with keen skill, expertise and a playful energy, pushing the constructs of our world and teaching audiences to love and accept bodies large and small. Botero will be recognized for centuries to come and his physical presence will be greatly missed, but never forgotten.