Botero observes that many people compare his work to that of novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Botero says this may be because both come from the same environment. The two men belong to the same generation, but Botero grew up near Medellin, while Marquez grew up on Colombia's Caribbean coast.

Famed Colombian painter/sculptor Fernando Botero turned 80 recently, with comemorations in Mexico, New York and, of course, Colombia. Among the more moderate but approachable exhibitions is the one on the wall of the Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango in Bogotá's La Candelaria neighborhood.