Photographer Continues Quest To Document The Diversity Of Beauty Around The World

A year ago, we shared here (and here) the incredible story of Mihaela Noroc — a photographer who quit her job, withdrew her savings, and embarked on a mission to capture portraits of women from every country in the world. The ambitious, ongoing project highlights beauty that exists everywhere, in densely-populated cities as well as remote villages.

h/t: mymodernmet, designtaxi

Kathmandu, Nepal

Aptly-titled The Atlas of Beauty, Noroc documents her travels through stunning portraits of ladies in places where they live and work. Most recently, she was in East and Southeast Asia in countries such as India, Mongolia, and China.

Delhi, India

Noroc finds beauty in those who stay true to their origins and culture, living as their authentic self. It’s not necessarily about fashion, but rather about being sincere and natural.

Pushkar, India

“Global trends make us look and behave the same,” she explains, “but we are all beautiful because we are different. In the end, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder is always somebody else.”

Osh, Kyrgyzstan

The Atlas of Beauty is Noroc’s way of recording the incredible diversity of the human population while we still can.

Sichuan Province, China

“Maybe in 50 years all women from all around the world will dress and act the same,” she writes. “I hope my project will remain a witness of my era’s cultures and traditions.”

Kathmandu, Nepal

Noroc has more places she’d like to document.

“My goal is to continue for many years and to study beauty in all countries of the globe, if possible, making this Atlas a project known around the world and an inspiration for all women that try to be themselves.”

Maramures, Romania

Istanbul, Turkey

Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan

Mumbai, India

Sichuan Province, China

Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Osh, Kyrgyzstan

Langar, India

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Romania

Varanasi, India

Chengdu, China

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Amazon Rainforest

Yangon, Myanmar

Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan

Kathmandu, Nepal

Bucharest, Romania

Pyongyang, North Korea

Chengdu, China

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Istanbul, Turkey

Guangzhou, China