Photographer Mihaela Noroc set herself out on a journey to show that beauty has no bounds.
Noroc has traveled the world with her backpack and camera visiting 55 countries over the last four years continuously working on her project. Her colorful and moving portraits feature women in their local communities, ranging from the Amazon rainforest to London city streets, and from markets in India to parks in Harlem, visually juxtaposing the varied physical and social worlds these women inhabit.
Her new book, Atlas of Beauty, is based on her project and features a collection of 500 portraits of women accompanied with their personal stories.
Her book aims to honor the women of the world and to show that diversity is a treasure and not a trigger for conflicts and hate. “We are very different, but at the same time we are all part of the same family” says Mihaela.
Noroc continues to shoot for her project and hopes to travel to more areas of the world.
Istanbul, Turkey- Eda is a poet. Her serenity and strength come through her words. (Mihaela Noroc/Ten Speed Press)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- This is the land of many religions and ethnic groups. Samira is an ethnic Tigrayan (Mihaela Noroc/Ten Speed Press)
Milan, Italy- Caterina began dancing when she was three years old. Her mother, Barbara, was supportive, but knew that there were few opportunities to study ballet in their small town so, although her husband and son stayed behind, she moved with Caterina to Milan, where her daughter could fulfill her dream and attend one of the most esteemed schools in the world. Art requires huge sacrifices, but imagine how Barbara feels today seeing Caterina dancing on the celebrated stage of La Scala.
(Mihaela Noroc/Ten Speed Press)
Delphi, Greece- On a normal day, Eleni works in her family’s restaurant. But once a year, she dresses like this for Easter. It’s fascinating to see that, despite the fact that Greece is a modern country, it preserves many of its ancient traditions.
(Mihaela Noroc/Ten Speed Press)
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia- She’s wearing a deel, which is a traditional outfit commonly seen in Mongolia.
(Mihaela Noroc/Ten Speed Press)
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan- This photo was taken just before her performance in a traditional dance. (Mihaela Noroc/Ten Speed Press)
Kathmandu, Nepal- Sona was celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. (Mihaela Noroc/Ten Speed Press)
(Mihaela Noroc/Ten Speed Press)
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