First Fernando Botero Solo Show in London in Over a Decade Opens October 2026
From October 12 to November 12, 2026, Opera Gallery London will host "Fernando Botero: In Praise of an Amplified World," celebrating the Colombian artist’s first solo showcase in London since 2015. Coinciding with Frieze London, the exhibition will display a range of paintings, drawings, and sculptures created over nearly sixty years, from the mid-1960s until Botero's passing in 2023. Designed by Cécile Degos, the exhibition challenges the perception of Botero’s work as mere caricature, emphasizing volume as a key theme. The gallery notes that rather than simply enlarging figures, Botero "amplified" them, a technique he developed in 1957 while painting a mandolin, which he regarded as a crucial moment in his artistic journey.
Key facts
- Opera Gallery London will host 'Fernando Botero: In Praise of an Amplified World' from October 12 to November 12, 2026.
- This is Botero's first solo exhibition in London since 2015.
- The show coincides with Frieze London.
- Works on view span from the mid-1960s to 2023, the year of Botero's death.
- The exhibition includes paintings, drawings, and sculptures.
- Scenography is by designer Cécile Degos.
- The exhibition argues that Botero's style is not caricature but uses volume as his central subject.
- Botero's approach originated in 1957 when he discovered that shrinking a mandolin's rosette made its body appear larger.
Entities
Artists
- Fernando Botero
- Cécile Degos
Institutions
- Opera Gallery London
- Frieze London
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
Sources
- Artsy —