Fat naked ladies are all the rage these days in Singapore, where the largest ever international exhibition of famed Colombian artist Fernando Botero's works are on display in all their corpulent glory.

A worker collects litter around Botero's sculpture of a 'Fat woman with cigarette' displayed at a park in Singapore. Fat naked ladies are all the rage these days in Singapore, where the largest ever international exhibition of famed Colombian artist Fernando Botero's works are on display in all their corpulent glory. [AFP]

    The 72-year-old Botero, known for oversized sculptures and paintings of ample-bodied figures, came to Singapore last month to launch the massive show of over 70 paintings and drawings and 36 sculptures spanning three decades.

    It is all part of the Southeast Asian city-state's lofty ambition to become a global art exhibition hub, and follows major roadshows of other well-known foreign and historical artists in Singapore.

    The Botero paintings, which include "Our Lady of Colombia" and the diptych "The President" and "The First Lady", as well as 14 smaller sculptures, are currently housed at the Singapore Art Museum.

    Twenty-two of the monumental bronze sculptures for which he is probably best known are on display at Changi Airport and in outdoor locations around the glittering seaside Esplanade arts center.

    Tens of thousands of Singapore residents and foreign visitors alike are expected to view his works by the time the exhibition ends on February 27.

    "A lot of people are intrigued. Why does he keep painting fat people?" Singapore Art Museum curator Suenne Megan Tan told AFP.

    It was that very question that brought 32-year-old Singaporean Derek Leong to the exhibition.

    The industry analyst had never heard of Botero before, but was attracted by the glimpses he got of Botero's work in exhibition posters and advertisements.

    "It's an interesting subject matter -- you seldom see full-bodied figures in art," Leong said.

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