Fernando Botero
La Bañista , 2005
Oil on canvas
52 x 67 in.
Available at Surovek Gallery
Volume has to do with a certain concept of sensuality in art. I am convinced that painting should be generous, sensual and voluptuous. - Fernando Botero
An ongoing, traveling exhibit of the works of Fernando Botero (1932-2023) is currently on view at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.
Botero was one of Colombia’s, and the world’s, most beloved artists. His instantly recognizable Boterismo style is charming, often humorous and joyful, like the artist himself.
There were, however, a few times in his life when he used his art to make political statements. “Colombia has two faces,” he said, “the face of joy, happiness, celebration, dancing, music, etc. and the face of violence. At some point in my life, I had the feeling that I needed to make a testimony of this second face of Colombia.”
Botero in Singapore is a traveling exhibit; the largest ever show of Botero’s work. Botero’s son, Fernando Botero Zea, helped curate the exhibit, which consists of nearly 130 paintings, drawings and sculptures. It will be on view at Gardens by the Bay, its only stop in Southeast Asia, through May 18, 2026.
Botero’s daughter, Lina Botero, has co-curated an exhibit that is currently on view in Seoul.
Fernando Botero: The Triumph of Form at Seoul Arts Center presents 112 of the artist’s oil paintings, drawings and sculptures, focusing on his practice from the 1970s through to his later years.
One of the works on view is a pastel portrait of Botero’s youngest son, Pedro, Lina’s sibling, who died in a car accident in 1974 at the age of four. Botero was on vacation with his second wife, Cecilia Zambrano, and their son, Pedro. They were traveling
between Sevilla and Córdoba, when a truck lost control and hit their car.
Lina said that the portrait was painted shortly after Pedro’s death, and discovered only decades later in a storage space in New York, where it had remained unseen for more than 40 years.
Fernando Botero: The Triumph of Form will be on view at Seoul Arts Center through August 30, 2026.
Please contact us if you would like more information about the works of Fernando Botero available at Surovek Gallery.
References:
Park Una. 'Art must create pleasure': Fernando Botero's works arrive in Seoul. The Korea Herald. April 25, 2026.
James Chin. Fernando Botero Jr talks about his father's legacy and the 'Botero in Singapore' exhibition at Gardens by the Bay. Options/Culture. March 26, 2026.
