Fernando Botero

Fernando Botero Angulo (born April 19, 1932) is a Colombian figurative artist, self-titled "the most Colombian of Colombian artists" early on. He came to national prominence when he won the first prize at the Salón de Artistas Colombianos in 1958. Working most of the year in Paris, in the last three decades he has achieved international recognition for his paintings, drawings and sculpture, with exhibitions across the world. His art is collected by major museums, corporations and private collectors. In 2005, his series of drawings and paintings entitled Abu Ghraib, which was exhibited first in Europe, expressed his outrage at abuses during the Iraq War and concentrated on the dignity of the victims. The exhibit was featured at two United States venues in 2007.