Tito Lombana

Tito Lombana (Ríofrío, Magdalena, 1932 – Cartagena de Indias, 1998) was a Colombian sculptor and brother of fellow sculptors Héctor Lombana and Marcel Lombana. His most recognised work was Zapatos viejos, which was demolished and later replicated by his brother Héctor.

Biography Lombana came from a humble family and displayed artistic talent from an early age, carving human figures in wood and cement without formal training. He was mentored by artist Miguel Sebastián Guerrero, who welcomed him to his Mallorca estate near Cartagena. There he met artists such as Hernando Lemaitre and Darío Morales, and began gaining recognition as a sculptor.

In January 1957, he proposed and executed Zapatos viejos, a monument in Cartagena honouring the poet Luis Carlos López, referencing his poem A mi ciudad nativa. The sculpture was initially criticised as an "eyesore" and "disrespectful" for breaking with traditional monumental aesthetics, aligning it with anti-monuments such as those by Rodin and Rosso. Despite public disapproval, poet Héctor Rojas Herazo delivered a speech encouraging citizens to adopt a different perspective on the work. The work gained international recognition and appeared on the cover of Cuban magazine Bohemia. It remained in Cartagena until the mid-1990s, when it was demolished to make way for a bridge; his brother Héctor recreated it in bronze and installed it beside the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. thumb

He held a solo exhibition at the Luis Ángel Arango Library in Bogotá, presenting six sculptures in Carrara marble and red Callemandino marble inspired by marine animals.

In the 1970s, he moved to Medellín and became involved with the emerging criminal elite, designing luxury residences with hidden compartments for drug trafficking. Nicknamed "the magician of Medellín", he frequently travelled to Panama, Mexico, and the United States, expanding his contacts in illicit business. His European training helped shape the so-called "narco aesthetic" of the era.

Legacy In 2019, his granddaughter Daniela Abad directed a documentary about his life, exploring both his artistic career and his connections to drug trafficking. It premiered at the Cartagena International Film Festival.