The Drapeau Series: a universal iconography
“La Belle Europe” (2008) by Frédéric Bruly Bouabré is an installation composed of fifty elements executed in mixed media on cardboard, belonging to the renowned “Serie Drapeau”. In this cycle, the artist reinterprets the visual identity of nations through his symbolic language, transforming the concept of the flag into a universal system of signs.
Each element (12.5 x 20 cm) contributes to an overall composition measuring 105 x 140 cm, forming a mosaic in which writing, color, and image coexist in balance. Bouabré’s distinctive graphic style and vibrant use of color generate a visual narrative that transcends geographical boundaries, reaching a broader cultural and philosophical dimension.
As is characteristic of his practice, each element is signed and dated on the reverse, making the work not only a unified composition but also a dispersed archive of signs and meanings. “La Belle Europe” thus fits within the artist’s broader research aimed at codifying and transmitting Bété culture in an accessible and universal form.
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré – La Belle Europe, 2008
Provenance: Frédéric Bruly Bouabré family collection – 091 Art Project, Palermo
Exhibitions: “Frédéric Bruly Bouabré | Cosmogonie”, Riso | Regional Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Palermo, 28 April – 11 June
Archive: work accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by the artist’s Estate
