AUS instructor wins international photography contest

American University of Sharjah (AUS) faculty member Ana Milena Gavassa recently won an international photography contest that was held to honor one of the greatest Colombian artists, Fernando Botero.

Notably the most popular Latin American figurative artist and sculptor of all time, Botero has been recognized worldwide for his signature style, also known as "Boterismo," which depicts people and figures in large exaggerated volumes and is representative of everyday life in Columbia.

Gavassa's winning entry was a photograph of a Botero sculpture sited near the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Gavassa said that her triumph was a double win as not only did she place first in an international contest, where submissions came from all the corners of the world showing various pieces of Botero's work, she was also able to represent work from her country, Colombia.

A Senior Instructor in the Department of Mass Communication at AUS, Gavassa said she has a great interest in photography. "I love taking pictures of the Burj Khalifa and when I found out that a Botero sculpture was so close I waited for the right time to capture the essence of the two without too many details in the beautiful sunset of Dubai."

This event was organized by the UAE-based Spanish-language newspaper El Corro Del Golfo, which published the winning photograph.

The winning photograph can be viewed here.