Aya #2

Aya, written by Marguerite Abouet and illustrated by Clément Oubrerie, first appeared in serialized form starting in 2005. Set in the Yopougon neighborhood of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, during the late 1970s, the series was conceived by Abouet to offer a grounded, joyous alternative to the often stereotypical portrayals of African life in Western media. Aya #2 continues the narrative of the determined protagonist, Aya, as she navigates the complexities of family, education, and social mobility in a vibrant, post-colonial urban setting.

The visual language of the series, crafted by Oubrerie, utilizes a warm, expressive cartooning style that captures the rhythmic energy of Ivorian life. The collaboration between Abouet’s intimate storytelling and Oubrerie’s fluid, cinematic panels was highly lauded by critics, winning the Best First Album award at the 2006 Angoulême International Comics Festival. By balancing domestic humor with serious socio-economic themes, the series earned a reputation as a landmark work in contemporary Francophone graphic literature.