Stereotypes Harm

Photographic series by Adrien COURTOIS-ZHANG

Minority groups are often seen not as individuals, but as simplified labels — the “model immigrant,” the “exotic other,” the “threat,” the “service worker.” These are not just words. They are stereotypes: socially constructed ideas that reduce real people into clichés.

As a Asian photographer living in France, I have often felt the weight of these stereotypes — sometimes subtle, sometimes violent, always limiting. Whether through the lens of curiosity or contempt, they distort who we are and what we can be. Stereotypes don't just misrepresent us — they confine us. They shape how others see us, and eventually, how we see ourselves.

This series will bring together eight recent immigrants from diverse cultural backgrounds — who have experienced the sting of such labels. Through these portraits, we expose the stereotypes they have endured, and respond to them with defiance, vulnerability, humor, or pride. Each image carries not only the mark of harm but also the power of reclaiming one's story.

Jerhome, 38 years old

In Europe for 11 years. He lives with his wife and two children.

To stereotype is to simplify. To photograph — with care — is to restore complexity.

This series is not a catalogue of suffering. It is a call to look deeper, to question the ideas we inherit, and to recognize the humanity behind the assumptions. In a time of growing polarization and cultural misunderstanding, I believe art can build bridges. And photography — with its ability to freeze both pain and dignity — can become a quiet form of resistance.