Fernando Botero

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About the artwork

Simply meaning 'Bird', Botero’s Uccello is often taken as a representation of a dove, signifying peace and serenity and embodying the joy of living and power of optimism. Endearingly rotund, the bird’s smooth curves render the three-dimensional figure surprisingly sleek in spite of its curved bearings and its position implies that it is in a state of rest rather than flight. In 1995 in Medellin, Colombia, a similar bird statue titled ‘Pajaro de Paz,’ or the Bird of Peace was ironically blown up by a guerilla militant, killing 12 people. Instead of removing the damaged sculpture, however, Botero left it there and created an identical Bird of Peace to place right beside it. This action further cemented Botero’s “Bird” as a symbol of peace and the resilience of human nature.

About the artist

Born in 1932 in Medellin, Colombia, Fernando Botero is an artistic living legend of our times. A prolific artist and creator of the signature style ‘Boterismo’, the artist’s rounded musings have made him a global figure in the contemporary art world, and the artistic ambassador of Colombian pursuit. Rounded from convention, distinctive in spite of the commonplace, and tied to Colombian history and heritage - his curvaceous forms have reached monumental heights, and are collected by major museums, corporations and private collectors all over the world, including the United States, Korea, and Mexico City, to name a few.