Who doesn´t like Botero? Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero (born 1932 in Medellín) is an artist of portraits, nudes, and still life with allusions to South America´s ways of life. Best known for his opulent figures of various walks of life in Colombia, his paintings are often infused with cunning sarcasm and dark humor hidden behind a seemingly amusing and, at a glance, naïve appearance.

What is everyday life in South America like? Botero, who claims to be the most Colombian among Colombian artists, depicts what contemporary Colombians are engaged in their everyday lives. The figures in Botero´s paintings eat, drink, sing, play cards, go for walk, sew clothes, go on picnics, and view bull fights. Although he is often criticized for not being a serious artist, the motifs in his paintings often give a sense of comfort. Images courtesy: Kunstforum, Vienna.