Bété mythology
The sublime Alphabet
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré (1923-2014) was an Ivorian artist and poet. He was the inventor of a specifically African writing to save the culture of the Beté people from oblivion. He created a complete alphabet consisting of 440 monosyllabic pictograms which he illustrated on small cartolin cards. By using this writing he transcribed the tales and mythology of his people.
“Une explosion de croissance s’est produite” - 19 x 15 cm - 02.04.2008 - © Saguaro Gallery
His poetic research was published in 1958 in Notes Africaines, in which Théodore Monod offers a long study on the Bété Alphabet. Brought together under the title "Knowledge of the World", his work consists of numerous series of drawings which have become a true cosmogony over the years.
“When I draw, what I really care about is my thoughts, and I revere my ideas. […] When I write, it’s as if I was drawing letters.”
“Les femmes et leur beauté” - 19 x 15 cm - 20.03.2005 - © Saguaro Gallery
These thousands of drawings made day after day since the 1950s reflect his immense curiosity, his African roots, his encyclopedic ideal. These works are rare and highly sought after. They are exhibited in large collections and museums, such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Mamco in Geneva.
© MAMCO Genève - 2006
Film extract of “Frédéric Bruly Bouabré l’universaliste” - Philippe Lespinasse & Andress Alvarez - © Lokomotiv films Lausanne - 2010