Rinko Kawauchi's newest collection of previously unpublished photographs, made for the series Des oiseaux (On Birds), in which photographers from around the world approach the same theme through their own forms of expression. In April 2020 Kawauchi began photographing a swallows' nest she found near her home and the parents raising their young there.

The nest under the eaves, the parents taking flight in search of food, the chicks waiting with their beaks open wide, buds opening at the tips of branches, the sparkle of the sun: Kawauchi appears as a still observer of the ceaseless cycle of life that goes on whatever the circumstances, and of the simple primal power at work in it. For viewers living through the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions, her pictures bring a moment of fresh air and new courage. The book also includes an essay by the ornithologist Guilhem Lesaffre, 'A few grams of elegance', which gives insight into the life cycle of the swallow. Made in collaboration with Éditions Xavier Barral (EXB), France.