Aya #7

Aya #7 is a key installment in the acclaimed graphic novel series created by Marguerite Abouet and illustrated by Clément Oubrerie. First serialized beginning in 2005, the series was inspired by Abouet's own upbringing in the Yopougon neighborhood of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, during the late 1970s. The work was conceived to challenge pervasive Western stereotypes about Africa by focusing on the vibrant, everyday lives of young women and their families rather than tragedy or conflict.

Clément Oubrerie's illustration style, characterized by fluid lines and a warm, evocative color palette, was chosen to reflect the optimism and energy of the setting. The series received significant international acclaim, winning the Best First Album award at the 2006 Angoulême International Comics Festival. By the time of the seventh installment, the series had firmly established itself as a seminal work in contemporary Francophone comics, praised for its humor, cultural nuance, and authentic representation of life in Abidjan.