Are all Latin people this fat?

Colombian artist Fernando Botero`s paintings make viewers wonder.

Plump South Americans dressed in colorful clothes stare directly at the viewers with expressionless faces. Contrary to the dull figures, the rest of the details on the paintings are surprisingly delicate - one can easily find out the figures` social statuses or the relations between the figures through them.

"No, I don`t paint fat people," said Botero at a press conference in Seoul on Monday.

"I was greatly inspired from the Italian style of art which emphasized volume since the 13th century. I too, simply try to arouse sensibilities by expressing volume."

Known as the "aesthetician of corpulence," Botero is one of the best-selling artists in the world and is recognized as the representative of Latin art of the current era.

To see his works, Korean fans can head to National Museum of Contemporary Art in Deoksugung, which is currently hosting the artist`s solo exhibition.

More than 90 pieces of Botero`s paintings and sculptures from the artist`s own private collection are on display. Most of the works were completed from 1985-1992.



The exhibition is divided into five parts - "Still Life," "Versions," "Latin Life," "Latin People," "Bullfight" and "Circus." Three sculptures are installed outdoors, in front of the museum.

Among the exhibits, the paintings at the "Versions" section will look awfully familiar. Botero parodied some masterpieces of old masters like "Infanta Margarita Teresa of Spain in White Dress" by Velazquez and "The Duchess of Osuna" by Goya. Botero then kindly named the works "After Velazquez" or "After Goya."

The figures, however, have gotten some "Botero-ish" twists and appear much more stout and somehow more "Latin" than the original.

"I want my paintings to have roots, because it is those roots that give the work a kind of meaning and truth. But I want everything I go though to be permeated with the soul of Latin America," explained Botero.

In the rest of the sections, viewers can take a peek into South American lives.

Botero vividly highlights the typical Latin cultures such as passionate dances, soccer games, bullfights or circuses. The various races of the figures presented on the canvases through different skin colors add to the reality.

"My works do not require much explanation. They are universal, as they basically show diverse meanings of life. I hope Korean viewers will get to sympathize with my paintings," Botero said.

The exhibition runs through Sept. 17 at National Museum of Art, Deoksugung in central Seoul. The museum is located inside Deoksugung, near City Hall station in Seoul (subway lines 1 and 2). Tickets range from 4,000 won to 10,000 won. For more information, visit botero.moca.go.kr or call (02) 368-1414.

(claire@heraldm.com)



By Park Min-young