Born in 1919, Zéprégüé, Côte d’Ivoire
Died in 2014 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
The origin of all of Frédéric Bruly Bouabré’s work stems from a revelatory experience: on March 11, 1948, “the heavens opened up before my eyes and seven colorful suns described a circle of beauty around their Mother-Sun, I became Cheik Nadro: ‘He who does not forget.’” From then on he tackled every field of knowledge and collected his research in manuscripts about arts and traditions, poetry, tales, religion, esthetics, and philosophy, revealing himself to be an astonishing thinker, poet, encyclopedist, creator. Searching for a way to preserve and transmit the knowledge of the Bété people, as well as the knowledge of the entire world, he invented an alphabet of 448 monosyllabic pictograms to represent phonetic syllables. This endeavor earned Bouabré the legendary reputation of being another Champollion, in reference to the great scholar and linguist Jean-Paul Champollion (1790-1832), who discovered the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs. Bouabré’s alphabet, which can transcribe all human sounds, reflects the essence of his thought: to achieve universality and to unite mankind.
In the 1970s, he started to transfer his thoughts to hundreds of small drawings in postcard format, using a ballpoint pen and colour crayons. These drawings, gathered under the title of Connaissance du Monde (Knowledge of the World), form an encyclopedia of universal knowledge and experience. Other projects, such as Readings from Signs Observed in Oranges (1988), serve as visionary records of divination. For Bouabré, his drawings are representation of everything that is revealed or concealed—signs, divine thoughts, dreams, myths, the sciences, traditions—and he views his role as an artist as a redemptive calling. He has stated: “Now that we are recognized as artists, our duty is to organize into a society, and in such a way to create a framework for discussion and exchange among those who acquire and those who create. From that could arise a felicitous world civilisation.”
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011
The world of Frédéric Bruly Bouabré and his Object teaching, Kimmel Center Window Gallery, New York, Etats-Unis
2010-2011
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Tate Modern, Tate Modern, London, UK
2010
Bon Séjour, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Galerie du jour
agnès b., Paris, France
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne, Switzerland
African Stories, Ancienne Banque du Maroc, Marrakech, Morocco
2006
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Musée des Civilisations de Côtes d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
2003
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré
Musée Champollion
Figeac – France
2002
Dany Keller Galerie
Munich - Germany
2001
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré – Acharya Vyakul, Galerie du jour agnès b., Paris, France
1997
Musée du visage africain, Galerie Jule Kewenig, Cologne, Germany
1996
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Galeria DV, San Sebastian, Spain
1995
Mondes - Frédéric Bruly Bouabré & Alighiero e Boetti
American Center, Paris.
1995-1994
World Envisionned -Frédéric Bruly BOUABRE & Alighiero e BOETTI
Dia Center for the Arts.
New-York, United States
1993
Portikus. Frédéric Bruly BOUABRE
Kunsthalle Francfort, Germany.
Bern, Switzerland.
Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany.
Ludwig Museum.
Aachen, Germany.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2015
ROC, La galerie du jour agnès b, Paris
2014
Ici l’Afrique/Here Africa - L’Afrique contemporaine à travers le regard de ses artistes, Musée des Suisses dans le Monde,Château de Penthes, Pregny-Chambésy, Switzerland
2014
Post-Picasso: Contemporary Reactions, Museu Picasso, Barcelona
2014
African way, Chapelle de la Visitation, Thonon-les-bains
2013
The 55th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
2013
Dessins et oeuvres sur papier, Galerie Jean Brolly, Paris
2013
Four corners of the world, Hite Foundation, Séoul, Corée du Sud.
2013
Focus sur la collection, Musée de la Fondation Zinsou, Ouidah, Bénin
2013
Mes Amours…, Bandjoun Station, Bandjoun, Cameroun
2012/2013
Biennale Bénin, Inventing the World : The Artist as Citizen
2012
Drawing Now Paris, Magnin-A, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
2012
Aujourd’hui je travaille avec mon petit fils, Aboudia, Galerie Cécile Fakhoury, Abidjan
2012
The Imminence of Poetics, Sao Paulo Bienal, 30th edition, Sao Paulo, Brasil
2011
Prism – Drawings from 1990 - 2011, The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway
Le Monde vous appartient, Palazzo Grassi, François Pinault Foundation, Venice, Italy
ArtParis, Just art!, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Riad Al Maaden, Marrakech, Morocco
La petite revue de l’art moderne et contemporain en Côte d’Ivoire, Rotonde des Arts, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
2010
Artparis+guests. André Magnin & Leridon Collection, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Oct 8 - Oct 25
African Stories
Marrakech Art Fair, Marrakech, Morocco
Mar 5 - Aug 22
La Collection de l'Art Brut, Lausanne, Switzerland
2009
Africa Arte Contemporanea, JZ Art Gallery, Milan, Italy
Against Exclusion, 3rd Biennale d’Art Contemporain, The Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, Moscow, Russia
Animal, Anima, Fondation Blachère, Apt, France
2007
Oct 07 – Feb 03 2008
Why Africa?
Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli
Turin, Italy
2006
12 Oct -18 feb 2007
100% Africa
Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao, Spain
2006
31 March – 11 June
Aller / retour. L’Afrique
La Casa Encendida
Madrid - Spain
2005
30 Nov – 20 Jan
Attirare l’attenzione
Centre d’art contemporain
Besançon, France
2005
Arts of Africa
Grimaldi Forum
Monaco - France
2005
African Art Now : Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection
Museum of Fine Art Houston
Houston - USA
2004 (travelling exhibition)
Africa Remix
Art contemporain d’un continent
* 24 July 2004 – 7 Nov 2004
Museum Kunst Palast
Düsseldorf - Germany
* 10 Feb 2005 – 17 April 2005
Hayward Gallery
London – England
* 15 May 2005 – 20 Aug 2005
Centre Georges Pompidou
Paris – France
* Feb – May 2006
Mori Art Museum
Tokyo
2004
Les Afriques
Tri Postal
Lille - France
2004
Je m’installeaux abattoirs !
La collection d’art contemporain d’agnès b.
Les Abattoirs
Toulouse - France
2003 – 2004
L’Invention du Monde
Centre Pompidou
Paris, France
2003
Transferts
Palais des Beaux Arts
Brussels – Belgium
2003
Correspondances Afriques
Iwalewa-Haus
Afrikanzentrum der Universität Bayreuth
Bayreuth - Germany
2002
Documenta 11: Platform 5
Kassel, Germany
2002
Inauguration du Plateau
Le plateau
Paris, France
2001
Egofugal
Istanbul 7th Biennal, Turkey.
2000-2001
Voici - 100 Years of Contemporary Art
Bruxelles Fine Art Palace
Bruxelles, Belgium.
1999-2000
Art-Worlds in Dialogue
Ludwig Museum
Cologne, Germany.
1999-2000
Art Visionnaire/Visionary Art
Halle Saint Pierre
Paris, France.
1997-1998
Johannesburg 2nd Biennal
Johannesburg, South Africa.
1997
Kwangju Biennal.
Kwangju, Korea.
1996
Sydney Biennal
The Gunnery
Sydney, Australia.
1995-1996
Féminin/Masculin. Le sexe de l'art.
Modern Art National Museum, Georges Pompidou Center.
Paris, France.
1995
Big City
Serpentine Gallery,
London, UK.
1995
Gallery of 5th Continents
Oceanian and African Art Museum.
Paris, France.
1995
Dialogues de Paix/ Dialogues of Peace
Palace of United Nations
Geneva, Switzerland.
1994
Frédéric Bruly BOUABRE
Ginza Art Space
Shiseido Co Ltd.
Tokyo, Japan.
1994
Rencontres Africaines
Arabic World Institute.
Paris, France.
1993
Grapholies
Abidjan Biennal.
Ivory Coast.
1993
La Grande Vérité, les Astres Africains
Contemporary African Art Collection
Fine Art Museum -Nantes, France.
1993
Art Against AIDS
Venice Biennal.
Guggenheim Museum. Venice, Italy.
1993
Trésors de voyage/ Travel Treasures
Venice Biennal.
Venice, Italy.
1992
Resistances
The Watari-Um Foundation for Contemporary Art,
Tokyo, Japan.
1992
Out of Africa
Saatchi Collection,
London, UK.
1991-1992
Africa Hoy - Africa Now
Atlantic Center of Modern Art
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Groninger Museum, Groningen, Netherland.
Contemporary Art Cultural Center.
Mexico City, Mexico.
1989
Magiciens de la Terre
National Museum of Modern Arts -M.N.A.M.
Georges Pompidou Center, Grande Halle de la Villette.
Paris, France.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2014
Une histoire, art, architecture et design, des années 80 à aujourd’hui, Christine Macel, texts by Claire Bishop, Okwui Enwezor and Dieter Roelstraete, Editions du Centre Pompidou, Flammarion, July 2014
2013
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, by Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, André Magnin, Yaya Savané, Denis Escudier. 4 volume set. 1436 pages. 21,1 cm x 26,5 cm. Éditions Xavier Barral, Avec le soutien du fonds de dotation agnès b. May 2013.
2011
Gradhiva n°13 Pièges à voir, pièges à penser, présences cachées dans l’image
Revue d’anthropologie et d’histoire des arts du musée du quai Branly, page 146
2010
AFRICA. OBJETOS Y SUJETOS
Exhibition catalogue, published by cajAstur
2010
ATAA OKO – FREDERIC BRULY BOUABRE
Documentaire DVD « FREDERIC BRULY BOUABRE, L’UNIVERSALISTE » , Collection de l’Art Brut/Lokomotiv films Lausanne/Le Tourne, 2010
2010
L'invention de l'écriture, Philippe Bordas, éditions Fayard
2009
Africa? una nuova storia
Exhibition catalogue, published by Gangemi Editore
2007
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, La Haute Diplomatie, Ikon Gallery, 2007
2007
Why Africa?
Exhibition catalogue. Published by Electa & Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli.
2006/2007
Africa Remix,
Catalogue d’exposition, Moderna Museet, Stockholm.
2006
Africa Remix,
Catalogue d’exposition, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo.
2006
100% Africa
Exhibition catalogue. Published by TF Editores & FMGB Guggenheim Bilbao Museum.
2006
L’art contemporain, histoire et géographie
by Catherine Millet Champ Flammarion, 2006
2005
L’art africain contemporain
Christophe Domino, André Magnin. Editions SCALA.
2005
Arts of Africa: The Contemporary Collection of Jean Pigozzi
Exhibition catalogue. Published by Skira Edition & Grimaldi Forum Monaco.
2005
African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection
Exhibition catalogue. Published by Merrell.
2004
Africa Remix
Catalogue d’exposition. Published by Hatje Cantz.
2003
Gagarin, seventh edition
Livre exclusivement sur des textes originaux des artistes. Pour moi, « l’art », c’est de savoir faire des sublimes œuvres innocentes !, pg 4. Editions GAGAvzw pour le « Municipal Academy of Fine Arts of Waasmunster »
2003
Transferts
Exhibition catalogue. Edited by Africalia.
2003
FILM
« L’alphabet de Bruly Bouabré »
Un film de Nurith Aviv. Production Swan Productions, ZDF/ARTE
Durée : 17'.
2002
Documenta 11
Exhibition catalogue
Text by André Magnin, in German.
Kassel, Germany.
2001
Cole, Herbert, M., Harris, Michael D., Poynor, Robin, Visonà, Monica Blackmun, A History of Art in Africa, Prentice Hall and Harry N. Abrams Publishers, 2001
2000
Zeitwenden
Exhibition catalogue, text by André Magnin, in German.
Global Art Rheinland Edition : Dumont. France.
1999
Global Conceptualism : Points of origin, 1950s-1980s
Signs and Systems : Frédéric Bruly Bouabre, text in English.
Exhibition catalogue Edited by The Queens Museum of Art, New York.
1996
Contemporary Art of Africa
Text in English by Alighiero e Boetti.
Edited by André Magnin and Jacques Soulillou.
Published by Harry N. Abraams.
1996
Sao-Paulo 23rd Biennal
Interview by Etienne Féau. Text in English.
Exhibition catalogue.
1995
MAAO
ITW Frédéric Bruly Bouabre by Etienne Féau, text in French
The 5th Continents Gallery, Paris.
1995
Worlds Envisioned
Lynne COOKE, André MAGNIN.
Exhibition catalogue.
DIA Center for the Arts, New-York.
1994
Book›: La Légende de Domin et Zézê
Introduction by Denis Escudier, texts in French, 200 pages.
Ed. Hazan - Revue Noire, Paris.
1993
Retrospective of Frédéric Bruly Bouabre, exhibition catalogue.
Frankfurt, Bern, Berlin & Aachen, Germany.
1991
Der öffentliche Blick
" L'art ou l'Esthetique " by Frédéric Bruly Bouabre, text in French p.75-91.
Verlag Silke Schreiber, Munchen und die Autoren.
1989
Magiciens de la Terre
Curators: Jean-Hubert MARTIN, Mark FRANCIS, Aline LUQUE, André MAGNIN
Exhibition catalogue, text in French p. 108 & 109.
1989
On ne compte pas les étoiles
By Frédéric Bruly BOUABRE
Georges Pompidou Center
Exhibition catalogue.
1989
Frédéric Bruly BOUABRE
Auto-biographical book
Inroduction by Denis ESCUDIER
Editions Bordessoules.
Saint-Jean d'Angély, France.
1986
Africa and the Written word
The Strange case of the Bété script. Bilingual texte French-English.
French Cultural Center, Lagos.
Introduction by Jacques Soulillou. Editions Karthala, Paris. source: CAAC Image source
