Abdoulaye Diarrassouba, better known by the name Aboudia, was born in Côte d'Ivoire in 1983. Cosmopolitan and socially engaged, Aboudia is an artist whose production is nourished by numerous influences. He studied art at the Center for Applied Arts in Bingerville, where he specialized in mural arts. With his diploma in hand, he painted for nearly ten years before achieving the international recognition he enjoys today.

It is his war scenes that garner the most attention, blending a naive aesthetic with violent subjects. His works are a blend of popular and cultural references; thus, his human figures, the Môgôs, are characters from Ivorian folklore. In Ivorian slang, môgô refers to a man, a name to which one can add an adjective, a prefix, or a suffix to change its meaning. For example, a bramôgô is a trusted man, while a Môgô pissant is a man who excels in a given field. Aboudia's Môgôs are men, often children, and they represent everyday people, the inhabitants of Côte d'Ivoire who are victims or actors of the Ivorian civil war. A Môgô couché is a person in distress; some of them are gendered, while others appear genderless, ultimately, all sport the same strange and forced smile.

Aboudia's works are striking due to the stark contrast between his often morbid subjects and the vibrant colors he employs, mixed with a cartoonish style. Incorporating the graffiti drawn by Ivorian youth in the streets of Abidjan into his canvases, he becomes the voice of the marginalized, a protest voice seeking to reclaim the history of those who have become mere footnotes. His backgrounds are amalgamations of various elements, often a blend of magazine cutouts, acrylics, cardboard, posters, and other recycled materials. This background work in his pieces helps to anchor them in a specific period, in a cultural and political context, against which the violence of the human condition depicted within them stands out even more forcefully.

The Ivorian civil war is one of the artist's favorite subjects, which erupted in 2002 when he was barely twenty years old, and Abidjan, Bouaké, and Korhogo were at the forefront of this tragedy. It is said that Aboudia hid during the conflicts and drew what he imagined was happening outside. Although the conflict was supposed to last less than a year, it was finally resolved in 2011 after many years of terror and violence for the local populations. Many of Aboudia's paintings bear witness to this reality, sometimes with violent images, such as children carrying firearms.


Aboudia (né en 1983), Môgôs, 2017
Acrylic, pencil, oil pastel and collage on canvas
118 x 150 cm - 46 29/64 x 59 1/16 in.
A certificate of authenticity signed by the artist will be provided to the buyer.

Provenance: Private collection, France

This canvas explores a later and perhaps less painful aspect of the artist's iconography. Indeed, since the end of the war, he has focused on much more optimistic subjects, revolving around themes such as childhood, camaraderie, and the youth of Abidjan, sometimes even touching on religious subjects. Aboudia is interested in all elements surrounding ordinary life, thus producing deeply human works.

Very characteristic of the artist's style, it highlights a series of Môgôs on a patched background composed of cardboard, coloring sheets, and portraits resembling African masks. Five figures stand out: four Môgôs and a fifth human silhouette seeming to float above the others. The figures, traced in green and red, stand out against the predominantly yellow and blue background; the quick strokes with which the artist composes add dynamism to the whole and evoke urban art techniques.

Aboudia has been enjoying an international career for several years, contributing to a significant rise in the popularity of Ivorian artists. More and more galleries are specializing in the trade of contemporary African artists, and auction houses are working diligently to establish their well-deserved place in the art market. The currents of the 2010s have witnessed the emergence of this category of artists in the market, whose quality of work is unquestionable and whose collectors are eagerly engaged.

Find this great artwork by Aboudia on July 4th at the auction, alongside a stunning selection of contemporary lots.

Upcoming Post-war & Contemporary Art Auction in Preparation
Thursday, July 4th, 2024 at 2:30 PM

Pour plus d'informations ou inclure un lot dans nos ventes, contactez :
Ophélie Guillerot
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guillerot@aguttes.com

Paul Rigaud
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