Fernando Botero Exhibition at Opera Gallery, Mayfair

After undergoing a complete refurbishment, Opera Gallery London is delighted to reopen its doors and launch an exhibition featuring works by Colombia’s most famous living artist: Fernando Botero.

Born in Medellin, Colombia, in 1932, Fernando Botero is known for his unique style,featuring oversized and voluptuous characters, be it people, animals or even elements of the landscape.

Since Opera Gallery first opened in 1994, the works of Fernando Botero have always been represented in our collections, displayed in our galleries and proposed to ourcollectors worldwide. This new exhibition, though, is his first solo exhibition at Opera Gallery London. Through a selection of paintings, works on paper and sculptures, the exhibition highlights some of Fernando Botero’s most favoured themes, including the Latino-American society and family, nudity and femininity and the brothels, and it invites viewers to discover a universe of abundance and modest sensuality.

“Botero is one of the most famous and recognised international artists, notably thanks to the way he represents his characters.
The first time I came across his work was in 1992 in Paris, when he had a show of sculpture on the Champs Elysees. Ever since then, Botero remained in my mind and today I am very proud to reopen Opera Gallery London with this unique show of sculpture and painting!” Jean-David Malat, Director of Opera Gallery London and curator of the exhibition.

"Sculptures permit me to create real volume... One can touch the forms, one can give them smoothness the sensuality that one wants.” Fernando Botero

About the artist
At the age of 12, Fernando Botero - son of a Colombian travelling salesman - received training as a matador alongside his usual school education. Botero's first major subject in his early paintings was the ring. In 1948 the artist had his first exhibition with other painters from his home province of Antioquía in Medellín.

In 1951 Botero moved to Bogotá, where he met the Colombian avant-garde surrounding at the Café 'Automatic'. After his studies at the 'Academia San Fernando' and the Prado museum in Madrid, the artist went to Italy, where he studied art history from 1953. Two years later Botero returned to Bogotá.

The artist was appointed professor of painting at the Bogotá Art Academy and gradually became the most important young artist in Colombia.

In 1960 he moved to New York and won the Guggenheim National Prize for Colombia.

About Opera Gallery
Founded in 1994 by Gilles Dyan, the Opera Gallery Group ‐ now internationally established with 11 galleries in the world ‐ is one of the rare international art gallery networks with locations on several continents: North America, Europe, Asia and Middle East.

Since its creation, Opera Gallery Group has always strived to offer its international collectors unique access to a diversity of multicultural artists, from the works of Modern Masters such as
Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Bernard Buffet, Henri Matisse, Lucio Fontana or Andy Warhol, just to name a few, to the most sought‐after contemporary artists (Marc Quinn, Yayoi Kusama, Yue Minjun, David Mach, Gérard Rancinan, Lita Cabellut, Joe Black, among others).