Collection l'Alphabet

Frédéric Bruly Bouabré’s Bété syllabary is one of his most profound contributions to the preservation and dissemination of cultural knowledge. Designed as a writing system for the Bété language, which had traditionally been transmitted orally, Bouabré’s syllabary consists of over 400 pictograms, each representing a syllabic sound. Inspired by his deep commitment to safeguarding his people’s heritage, Bouabré meticulously developed this alphabet as a tool to document oral traditions, ensuring that the linguistic and cultural identity of the Bété people could endure beyond the pressures of modernization and colonial influence. His pictograms are visually striking, often resembling his artistic style, where simple yet evocative symbols encode meaning in an accessible way. While the Bété syllabary was never widely adopted in daily use, its conceptual significance remains immense, positioning Bouabré as both a linguistic innovator and a cultural guardian. Through this work, he not only sought to empower his own community but also demonstrated a broader vision of language as a bridge between oral tradition and written permanence.

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l'Alphabet, 52 original drawings on cardboard, 22 x 29 cm, hand signed by Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, 1980