Frédéric Bruly Bouabré

Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, also known as Cheik Nadro (c. 1923 – 28 January 2014), was an Ivorian artist. On March 11, 1948, he had a divine revelation, which influenced much of his later work. Frédéric Bruly Bouabré worked as a clerk in various government offices. He created hundreds of small drawings that depict many different subjects, mostly drawn from local folklore or describing his visions. The drawings are part of a larger body of work, World Knowledge. Bouabré also created a 448-letter, universal Bété syllabary, which he used to transcribe the oral tradition of his people, the Bétés. His visual language is portrayed on some 1,000 small cards using ballpoint pens and crayons, with symbolic imagery surrounded by text, each carrying a unique divinatory message and comments on life and history.