Camilo Restrepo
Camilo Restrepo experienced firsthand the rise of drug trafficking and the emergence of narcoterrorism, growing up amidst the mafias that affected all spheres of Colombian society and fueled violence and widespread inequality.
His repeated encounters with these contexts led him to question many aspects of his artistic creation, which is composed of multiple layers of meaning and unstable entities that, when intertwined, produce coherent and compact compositions.
His main theme is the ongoing global battle between truth and fiction, which in Colombia manifests at the intersection of violence and popular culture. His work reveals the clear connection between drug trafficking, Colombian elites, and the ways in which these elites have distorted reality. Restrepo satirically critiques the failed war on drugs and seeks to reinterpret and provide a new perspective on that period of Colombian history, which continues to influence the present.
A fundamental aspect of his work is offering a counter-narrative where authorities and civil society have failed. This approach underscores the legitimacy of his unique humor, which emerges from representations that may seem chaotic but are morally and objectively aimed at uncovering the truth.
