Aboudia

Abdoulaye Diarrassouba, better known as Aboudia, captures the energy and tension of Abidjan—Côte d’Ivoire’s capital—through vivid, large-scale mixed-media works. Drawing from the visual language of graffiti and the forms of traditional African sculpture, his style is often likened to that of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Aboudia’s art reflects life in the city's most challenging neighborhoods, portraying both the struggles of urban youth and the brutal violence following the 2011 post-election crisis. Recurring motifs such as skulls, soldiers, and bullets allude to deep trauma, yet his bold, bright color schemes preserve a sense of childhood innocence and resilience. His work has been exhibited extensively in Côte d’Ivoire and internationally—in cities like London, Paris, New York, and Marrakesh. Major institutions such as the Saatchi Gallery, the Jean Pigozzi Collection of African Art, and the Nevada Museum of Art have collected his pieces, and his work has reached six-figure sales on the secondary market.