Frédéric Bruly Bouabré Solo Exhibition 2025
ART NYC
ARTNYC is holding Frédéric Bruly Bouabré’s solo exhibition curated by ART NYC in New York. It will be showcased on 2025.
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré (1923-2014), born in Côte d'Ivoire, left an indelible mark on the artistic landscape of the 20th and 21st centuries. He pioneered the creation of the Alphabet Bété, a written language system of the oral language spoken by the Bété community. The Alphabet Bété stands as Bouabré's magnum opus, comprising of 449 meticulously crafted pieces that intricately blend imagery with monosyllabic Bété words, offering profound insights into everyday Bété life. As a young man, Bouabré served as a civil servant in the French colonial government, a period during which he laid the groundwork for the development of the alphabet Bété. He adopted the moniker "Chik Nidro," symbolizing his prophetic persona, driven by a deep-seated desire for communication. Troubled by the limitations of the Bété language spoken by his people, Bouabré recognized the transformative power of visual language as a means to express and preserve cultural identity amidst societal evolution. He meticulously observed and documented primitive lifestyles, cultures, and facial expressions, paving the way for the creation of the Alphabet Bété. His legacy endures through thousands of love letters in the form of his art, serving as a timeless testament to his commitment to bridging communication barriers between the French and Bété communities.