Beyond providing boundary-pushing media critique, Africa is a Country is interested in sharing the work of young artists who are changing the nature of African representation. This means experiencing people and places through fresher eyes and perspectives than the Western media landscape has traditionally offered.

In this post we feature Yannis Guibinga, a photographer from Gabon mages document Libreville’s vibrant beach culture. In his own words:

I feel like Gabon and Central Africa in general are sometimes left out of the conversation when it comes to African creatives. Most of the people we see come from places such as Nigeria or Ghana, which is a good thing for them, but I think it would also be great to show to the world that Africa does not stop at these few countries and that there are way more talents on the continent.

The beach in Libreville, Gabon’s capital, plays a very important part in the daily entertainment of Gabonese people. Because it’s free for all and easily accessible, going to the beach is sometimes the only thing people can afford which is why so many of us go there after school or on weekends. The beach is a very important place economically, but also socially. It’s a nice place to relax and just hang out for teenagers. I thought it would be interesting to show it because whenever the media talks about Africa it is more often than not because of serious circumstances. So I think it’s important to show that as Africans, we also have ways to entertain ourselves and have fun.

Check out his images below, visit his website and find him on instagram as @yannisdavy.