ABOUDIA (ABDOULAYE DIARRASSOUBA)
* 21.10.1983 ABIDJAN/IVORY COAST
Abdoulaye Diarrassouba, also known as Aboudia, was born in Abidjan, on the Ivory Coast in 1983. He discovered his passion for art at the ‘Draw me your dream’ painting competition held at his school. As the winner of the competition, he began his training at the Centre des Arts Appliqués de Bingerville at the age of 15. In 2005, he graduated from the École des Beaux-Arts in Abidjan. After the presidential elections in 2011, civil war once again broke out on the Ivory Coast. Unlike many of his colleagues, Aboudia remained in Abidjan and captured the horrors of war in his works. His insistence on staying in the area brought him to the attention of a wider international public. He was invited to participate in exhibitions all over the world and soon had solo shows in renowned galleries and museums.
Aboudia's artistic style is unmistakable. Inspired by the graffiti he finds in his hometown of Abidjan and the traditional woodcarvings of West Africa, he creates large-scale works using acrylic, oil pastels and collage from found materials. His figures look as if they have been painted quickly and sketchily, with eyes and mouths emphasised by repeated overpainting. The use of a wide variety of techniques, but also the impasto and layered painting style, lend his paintings dynamism and depth. The affinity with the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat is undisputed, but there are also unmistakable similarities between his work and that of Jean Dubuffet and Cy Twombly.
In his art, Aboudia deals with the reality of a young generation growing up on the streets of Abidjan. He skilfully evokes the environment in which they live: the graffiti, which is part of his visual language, as well as the materials used as collage, which the young people there also use. They have grown up in an environment which is hostile to children, on the fringes of a society marked by the experience of bloody conflicts that flare up again and again. Aboudia’s works, in their unsparing confrontation with reality and powerful artistic interpretation, are overflowing with energy and life.
Works by this artist from our auctions
Following are some examples of works by this artist from our past and future auctions.We are always accepting consignments for our auctions. Share in our success – contact us today for a no-obligations auction estimate.
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