
Aboudia draws inspiration from local street culture in his hometown Abidjan. He is noted for his heavily layered, brutally energetic paintings that combine an innocence and spontaneity with the portrayal of a dark interior world. Since the 2011 Ivorian civil war, his urban landscapes have been haunted by trauma; armed soldiers, ominous skulls, and a populace hemmed in by danger. Recent work continues to grapple with the hardships of daily life, and the social inequalities of downtown Abidjan. Often claustrophobic and oppressive, his painting achieves a careful balance between pathos and aggression. Aboudia references characters from his direct neighbourhood, local ‘Nouchi’ street culture and homage to more traditional forms of Voodoo. His work has been exhibited at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, and Saatchi Gallery, London, among others.