The student creating African emojis to change the story of Africa from poverty to beauty

By Aisha Salaudeen, CNN

Updated 1437 GMT (2237 HKT) December 18, 2019

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

Student O'Plerou Grebet taught himself how to create emojis after getting fed up of seeing just poverty images of Africa. He wanted to depict the beauty in the everyday lives of African people.

Hide Caption

1 of 10

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

Long-long is a protective hairstyle for girls and women with natural curly hair.

Hide Caption

2 of 10

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

'Garba' is street food sold in Ivory Coast. It is made with cassava semolina, tuna fish and eaten with pepper and onions.

Hide Caption

3 of 10

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

Toclo, a street tailor, usually a man with a sewing machine, who repairs damaged clothing in the streets.

Hide Caption

4 of 10

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

'Tu as vu non,' a popular facial gesture in Ivory Coast meaning 'I told you so.'

Hide Caption

5 of 10

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

Cabine, a local spot where people pay to make phone calls

Hide Caption

6 of 10

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

Crécré is a delicious crispy snack sold near schools in Ivory Coast

Hide Caption

7 of 10

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

Natté couché, braids made with curly hair.

Hide Caption

8 of 10

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

Henné, local drawings made on Mandinka women hands and/or feet during wedding and ceremonies.

Hide Caption

9 of 10

Photos: Ivorian digital artist, O'Plerou Denis Grebet, has created more than 300 African emojis

Zaouli is a traditional dance of the Guro people of central Ivory Coast.

Hide Caption

10 of 10

(CNN)When Ivorian artist O'Plerou Denis Grebet was looking for free stock images of Africa for a project, he only came across negative images of disease and poverty.

"I noticed that media and most articles about Africa were talking about the bad sides of the continent only. They reduced the image of it to a land in war where people are poor and hungry. These elements are true but it's not everywhere on the continent," he told CNN.

The photos, he said, annoyed him so much that he started to think about how to show images of beautiful parts of the continent.