If you've known me long enough you know I've preached the name for a while now. From crushing in front of one of his works at the London Art Fair in 2015, to including him in my fist curated show in Paris, my passion for Aboudia's works has continued to grow exponentially.
Today, Aboudia is one of the most buzzing names in the art world. Since the success of his solo auction at Christie's New York in February 2021, collectors have been rushing to add his work to their walls and collections.
Aboudia's success, and by association, our own success for having championed, advised and collected his work for the past seven years was a strong impetus for the creation of Candid House, a platform which would enable us to promote the artists we believe in to the people who have trusted us from day one. Our followers have now multiplied, and we owe this to one key element over any other: the success of our artists.
When it comes to Aboudia, it is important to understand the importance that he has and will continue to cement in the history of contemporary African art. The inspiration behind his distinctive style was born out of the streets of his country. During the conflicts surrounding the presidential elections in late 2010, Aboudia was forced to use his studio as his personal bunker. Only wondering out on agreed cease-fires or calmer periods of the day and night. During those brief interludes of outside life, Aboudia discovered the graffitis left on the walls of Abidjan by the 'children of the street'. Labeled as Noutchi, the artistic language of these children, the future generation of the country, left with nothing but pictures to protest, dream, and send messages of distress or hope, became Aboudia's core artistic mission. He felt it his obligation to make sure the world would witness these images, and for his art to become the vehicle in which these children would be heard. Needless to say he has succeeded in this endeavour.
On the back foot of an incredible solo presentation at 1-54 Art Fair in Paris, Aboudia continues to produce breathtaking paintings. From around 10 000 USD in 2015 to 150 000 USD for a painting today, Aboudia's market is now considered established, and in my humble opinion, will only go up from here.