Aboudia draws inspiration from local street culture in his hometown Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The artist 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 Ivorian civil war in 2011, 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.

Aboudia’s work has been exhibited at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv; Nevada Museum of Art, Reno; the 2017 Royal Academy Summer Show, London and Saatchi Gallery, London, among others.