ABOUDIA (1983)

ABOUDIA (1983) Do not enter, 2012 Acrylic, collage and oil pastel on canvas Signed with the dog's head at center left and dated at right 75 x 75 cm Provenance: private collection, Brussels (acquired directly from the artist) Aboudia Abdoulaye DIARRASSOUBA (real name), a leading Ivorian artist, made his name during the sad conflict in Côte d'Ivoire in 2011 between supporters of Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara. The civil war that engulfed the population left a deep impression on him, which he expresses through his paintings. These works are widely distributed and critically acclaimed, as much for their testimonial value as for their artistic quality. Aboudia, who now works between Abidjan and Brooklyn, draws on traditional African art and modern Abidjan graffiti. He is inspired by the drawings and expressions of the children of the capital's poor neighborhoods. In Aboudia's work, we find the same codes of this raw, sincere and authentic art. He is often compared to Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cy Twombly and Jean Dubuffet, for the expressiveness and power of his painting.