Untitled 2018

Aboudia made this untitled mixed media work on found paper, and the layering is really something to behold. The collage elements peek through the crayon and paint, giving the piece a fragmented, almost archaeological feel. It’s like he's digging through the layers of the city itself. What strikes me is the frenetic energy. The marks are raw and immediate, but there's also a sense of control, like he’s channeling something primal. The thick lines of crayon create these cartoonish figures, or maybe they’re masks? It's hard to tell, and that’s part of the beauty. Look at the way he uses color. The bright blues and greens pop against the muted tones of the collage, creating this vibrating tension. It reminds me a bit of Basquiat, but with a distinctly Ivorian flavor. Ultimately, this piece reminds us that art isn’t about answers, but about the questions we ask along the way.