One highlight of my trip is the visit to the Museo Botero. Colombia’s world famous artist, Fernando Botero, is well known for his figurative artworks of sculptures and paintings that depict people and figures in large and exaggerated volumes that are viewed as satire, caricature or political commentary. The widely recognized collection of gordas and gordos (or “chubby women and men”) are brilliant and at times, humorous. His monumental public sculptures adorn squares and parks in cities around the globe, including Paris, Madrid, Florence and New York. The Museo Botero in Bogotá exhibits several of his sculptures, paintings and drawings which he donated, together with his extensive private collection of works by other great international artists.

Graffiti art is prevalent in the streets of Bogotá. Many of these vivid works have also been encouraged by relaxed laws with the declassification of graffiti from “crime” to a “violation”. Bogotá is becoming a hotbed for homegrown and international artists to practice their craft. Many of them are bewitching!