First Generation reports on several years of research on the expression of a post-immigration identity in Europe. In 2014, Carolina Arantes began First Generation , a long-term project that revolves around the first generation of French women from West Africa. In the desire to offer them more visibility, the photographer went to meet these women. At the heart of the book, their voices cross the clichés and archive documents summoned, echo each other, and reveal an often hidden reality.

In contact with them, the Brazilian traditions of the artist – imprinted with theirs in many aspects – then resurfaced in the common past of colonization. “It gave me a broader view of the world. I hope that this work will allow other people (especially those not concerned) to have a better understanding of our identities, of our humanism. Because times are changing. It is a committed generation that no longer accepts certain mores stemming from a colonialist vision. These women are aware of their own value and the value of African culture in history,” she concludes.