Frédéric Bruly Bouabré - Géographie d’Afrique – Reflétée par le Soleil

This unique large-format drawing by Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, measuring approximately 30 x 30 cm, is a rare and significant example of the artist’s work executed on a vinyl record cover, reflecting his well-known practice of using found cardboard as a support. Titled Géographie d’Afrique – Reflétée par le Soleil and dated 12 November 1985, the work presents a symbolic representation of the African continent enclosed within a radiant solar disc, surrounded by a structured border of stars and geometric framing lines. Executed in Bouabré’s unmistakable style—characterized by naïve drawing, balanced layout, handwritten text, and the integration of image and language—the work functions both as a visual composition and as a conceptual statement. The continent of Africa is placed at the center of a cosmic structure, suggesting Bouabré’s recurring idea of Africa as a spiritual and civilizational center reflected and illuminated by universal knowledge, often symbolized by the sun in his work.
The composition demonstrates Bouabré’s unique ability to combine geography, cosmology, and philosophy into a single didactic image. As in many of his drawings, the image is framed like a page from an encyclopedic system of knowledge, reinforcing his lifelong project of documenting the world through image and text. The use of the record sleeve as support adds an additional conceptual layer, connecting popular culture, everyday material, and universal history. Because of its unusually large size and its clear thematic focus, this work can be understood as a standalone conceptual panel within Bouabré’s broader body of work, where art serves as a tool for education, cultural affirmation, and the transmission of universal knowledge.
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Géographie d’Afrique – Reflétée par le Soleil, 1 original drawing on cardboard, 30 x 30 cm, hand signed by Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, 1985