Enfants dans la Rue 1 2013

Aboudia, born in 1983, made Enfants dans la Rue 1 with paint, crayon, and collage on canvas. These are not exactly traditional art materials, but rather repurposed materials from everyday life. The artist creates an intense, layered surface; its inherent qualities of texture, weight, color, and form convey the energy of the urban environment. The process of layering disparate elements—discarded papers, bold strokes of crayon, and vivid paint—imbues the artwork with a sense of raw, unfiltered expression. Aboudia engages with techniques reminiscent of street art, utilizing found materials and spontaneous mark-making. The artwork is deeply intertwined with social issues, reflecting the realities of labor, politics, and consumption in urban Africa. The amount of work involved in layering these materials speaks to the complex social fabric of the streets. By emphasizing the importance of materials, making, and context, we understand the profound social commentary embedded within Aboudia's work, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.