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Laman Ismayilova

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The famous Colombian painter and sculptor, Fernando Botero, who created the "Boterismo" style by presenting oversized representations of people, animals, and various figures, will have his works exhibited for the first time in Baku on October 31, as part of the "Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW" project organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Azernews reports.

More than 100 art works by the artist will be showcased at the Heydar Aliyev Center in the solo exhibition titled "The Triumph of Form." These works represent over 70 years of the artist's creative journey. Among them are early watercolor works created by Botero when he was just 14 years old, depicting scenes from bullfighting, as well as paintings created using his distinctive technique on canvas. His works are known for their vibrancy and life-affirming qualities. The artist even presents Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" in his own style, in a larger-than-life form. Botero's sculpture "The Horseman" was sold for $4.3 million at a 2022 Christie's auction, while his 2023 auction record was set with the sale of the piece titled "Musicians," which fetched $5.1 million. In total, Botero has created over 3,000 paintings and more than 200 sculptures.

Fernando Botero has attracted widespread attention worldwide. With more than 100 museum exhibitions in over 30 countries and millions of followers, the artist left Colombia at the age of 20, yet his homeland has always remained a source of inspiration for him. Describing himself as "the most Colombian of Colombians," the central themes of Botero's works often include childhood memories, Latin American life, still lifes, and bullfights. Through this, he combines the universal spirit of the Italian Renaissance with the life energy of Latin America.

The artist has created sketches for Spain's "Lope de Vega" theater company, lived in Madrid and Paris in the 1950s, studying the works of great masters, learned fresco techniques at the University of Florence, discovered abstract expressionism in the United States, and illustrated Gabriel García Márquez's short story "Tuesday Siesta." Since 1973, he has been working with sculpture, turning to three-dimensional forms.

A documentary film titled "Botero", dedicated to the life and work of the artist, was released in 2023. The film has won numerous awards in various categories at many festivals.