Frédéric Bruly: narrator of African art

Frédéric Bruly Bouabré (1923 – 2014) was much more than an artist: he was a storyteller, a keeper of memory, and the creator of a visual and written language unique in the world. Born in Ivory Coast, Bouabré dedicated his life to recording and transmitting the knowledge, myths, and symbols of his culture, transforming them into a global work of art, capable of speaking across the globe.

Biography and artistic career
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré was born in 1923 in Zépréguhé, Ivory Coast. After working as a clerk and undergoing self-taught training, in the 1940s he received a "vision" that drove him to dedicate his life to artistic creation and the transmission of knowledge.
In the following years, he developed an alphabet of over 400 signs to transcribe the Bété language, safeguarding an oral tradition destined to disappear.

His work consists primarily of small illustrated cards drawn with colored pencils and ballpoint pens, accompanied by writing in French. Each work is a micro-narrative that blends image and word.

Themes and visual language
Bouabré's work is characterized by:
- Cultural documentation: collection of proverbs, legends, customs and traditions.
- Universalism: the desire to create a bridge between different cultures.
- Miniaturization: small formats, but rich in symbolic details.
- Word and image are inseparable: the text is not a caption, but an integral part of the work.

Bouabré thus enters the panorama of conceptual art and contemporary African art, with a deeply personal voice.

Exhibitions and museums
Bouabré's works are present in important collections and museums, including:
- Centre Pompidou (Paris)
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
- Museum of Modern Art – MoMA (New York)
- Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (Washington DC)
- Tate Modern (London)

He has participated in important international exhibitions, such as the Venice Biennale and the Documenta in Kassel.

Bouabré and the Antonio Damiani Gallery
The Antonio Damiani Gallery presents and promotes the work of Frédéric Bruly Bouabré in Italy, placing it within a context of dialogue between modern and contemporary art and world cultures. His presence at the gallery demonstrates the gallery's commitment to promoting artists of global scope, capable of appealing to both experienced collectors and those approaching art for the first time.