Aboudia — Le Nouchi — Inception Gallery — Exhibition — Slash Paris

Past: September 10 → November 7, 2015

He graduated in 2005 from the Centre Technique des arts appliques in Abidjan, Aboudia reveal itself during the 2011 conflict of the Cote d’Ivoire and notably the Abidjan battle.

I was a bit of an outlaw…

“ It was not easy at first, I was not welcomed in Cocody’s art school, which regarding where I come from, always send me back to the streets. I was a bit of an outlaw because I did not wanted to be like everybody else, I did not wanted to be canalised, I wanted to be me. For me, art is not something you can direct, it is what comes from within one self that is important.’

In those months during the war, Aboudia’s paintings have been witnesses of the crisis evolution, with hostile crowd, terrified civilians, deaths, weapons …

“ I remained hidden in a workshop in a basement where I painted what I was seeing outside. I am not a war painter but I have painted it to show History what happened."

His work is inspired by Abidjan’s graffitis made by groups of kids as a mean of expression of their anger or dreams.

Street kids are my favorite subject and it is their writing that I am painting. It does not belong to me but I have borrowed this writing to put it on canvas. Adobo train station has always inspired me because it is a popular place where a lot of marginalised children live.

Aboudia’s paintings are noticeable by their coloured, wild and childish style and by its important dimensions, up until four meters long.

He has been compared to Jean-Michel Basquiat…

Street painter, Aboudia managed to capture the energy of Abidjan streets, and often paint in series.

He has been compared to Jean-Michel Basquiat who could also capture New-York energy, Aboudia declares

“ I did not know Basquiat before somebody told me about it. Learning how great of an artist he was, I was very flattered to be compared to him, I might means that I can be as great as he was. Nowadays, I am inspired by everything from Abidjan to NYC. I express myself on large canvas because I do on canvases what I see on walls, large walls and I want to be closer from reality.

A great name to be in African painting…

Aboudia lives and works in Abidjan.