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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
Copyright Š 2010 by Tashen All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Printed in the United States of America Author: Mihaela Noroc Editorial Design: Beatriz Correia First Printing, 2017 ISBN 0-9000000-0-0 Taschen Inc 39 Bentley Street Markham, ON Canada, L3R 3L1 Tel: (905) 470-7666 Fax: (905) 470-7166 www.taschen.ca
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Every day when we watch mass media we see an Atlas of War,
Conflicts, and Fear, People are fighting just because they are different: because they have a different religion, culture, or race. Diversity is something beautiful and not a reason for conflict.
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CONTENTS 008. Travel
034. Poland
054. Romania
012. Mihaela Noroc
036. Netherlands
064. Kyrgyzstan
014. Mihaela Noroc
038. Germany
072. Italy
018. Iceland
042. United Kingdom
078. Uzbekistan
020. Finland
044. Mongolia
082. Azerbaijan
022. Sweden
048. Moldava
084. North Korea
026. Latvia
050. Switzerland
088. China
028. Russia
052. Canada
094. Turkey
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102. USA
138. Tibet
188. Indonesia
108. Portugal
142. Nepal
190. Peru
112. Tajikistan
148. Cuba
194. Brazil
118. Greece
152. Myanmar
198. South Africa
126. Japan
156. India
202. Chile
128. Iran
170. Ethiopia
206. Australia
130. Afghanistan
176. Colombia
208. New Zealand
134. Egypt
182. Ecuador
212. Media
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
T R AV EL
SEAR CH F O R D I V E R S IT Y
WHAT MAKES THEM PROUD? WHAT ARE THEIR BIGGEST EVERYDAY CHALLENGES? WHAT DO THEY DREAM OF?
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Awoman in a red dress standing on a boulevard in Pyongyang, North Korea. A ballerina from the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. A Banjara woman in a yellow and purple sari in a Mumbai fish market. An Egyptian wearing a black head scarf in Cairo. These are a few of the many women whom Mihaela Noroc has photographed for a project she calls the Atlas of Beauty. Ms. Noroc has made it her mission to travel the world and take pictures of women. The 31-year-old was born in a Romanian family in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, which at that time was part of the Soviet Union. Her father was a painter, so she says she grew up surrounded by colors. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Ms. Noroc (whose name is pronounced NO-rok) and her family moved to Bucharest, where she’s lived since she was 6 years old. At 16, she got her first camera and fell in love with photography. Her first subjects were her mother and her sister. For a long time, photography was a hobby for Ms. Noroc—she couldn’t afford to make a living from it.
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YOU DIVE INTO HER EYES, YOU SEE IN HER EYES HER STORY, HER GRIEF, HER MELANCHOLY, HER JOY, BECAUSE THE EYES WILL NEVER LIE.” Mihaela Noroc
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A 2013 trip to Ethiopia marked a turning point for her. “Imagine, in one single country you could see Muslim women completely covered (including their face) and women from different tribes completely naked,” she says. “Besides that, I was surprised to see so much grace, even in poor and harsh environments. After that journey, I realized it would be amazing to show the diversity of our planet through portraits of women.” That’s when she started to combine her two passions: traveling and photographing women. Sometimes she travels alone and sometimes with her Romanian husband, but when she walks on the street and looks for women to photograph, she prefers to be alone. “I care a lot about that, because it helps me to create a cozy atmosphere to capture that moment of serenity which can be found in every woman,” she says.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
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MY AIM IS TO HAVE A MESSAGE ABOUT TOLERANCE AND TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT WOMEN ARE PORTRAYED IN THE LAST 30 YEARS IN THE MEDIA” Mihaela Noroc
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Ms. Noroc speaks several languages, including Romanian, English, Russian, French and Spanish. She travels light: usually with a small Lowepro backpack, plus a big Osprey backpack that can be transformed into a trolley bag. She packs only a few clothes, a pair of shoes, a pair of flip-flops and basic personal-hygiene products. For her work, she carries a Canon 5D Mark III camera, three lenses, one laptop and two external hard drives for backup, as well as a smartphone. Ms. Noroc has deals to publish a book of photographs in the U.S. and U.K. in 2017. She shares her work on her website as well as on Facebook and Instagram, where she has 178,000 followers. She has had a crowdfunding campaign to finance her project, which she says has raised nearly $50,000. She says everything she earns from her work she puts into the project. Work presents Ms. Noroc, whose last name means “luck” in Romanian, with many challenges, not least of which is dealing with her fear of flying. She has 11
gotten sick while traveling, including a 10-day ordeal in India when she was bed-bound with severe stomach pain. Security is also an issue, since she travels to dangerous areas. She says she has been to parts of Afghanistan and to favelas in Rio de Janeiro without any issues, but in a conservative part of Egypt she was surrounded by an angry group of men and threatened because she was photographing women. Egypt and India are two of the countries where she found it hardest to do her work. In some conservative countries, women need to get permission from their husband or another male relative to be photographed, Ms. Noroc says. “My aim is to have a message about tolerance and to change the way that women are portrayed in the last 30 years in the media,” she says. In Europe and the U.S. women have equal rights as men, but “in other parts of the world, the inequality is heartbreaking,” she says.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
MIHA EL A N O R O C
I’m Mihaela Noroc the author of this photo series. Three years ago I was just an aspiring photographer in Romania. Three weeks ago, Facebook invited me to photograph six remarkable women for International Women’s Day 2016. You’re probably wondering what happened in the meantime. In 2013, dissatisfied with my job and I’M THE SAME ORDINARY PERSON, WITH THE my living, I decided to quit my mono- SAME BACKPACK LIKE 3 YEARS AGO, THAT LOVES tonous life and put all my efforts into TO EXPLORE THE UNNOTICED BEAUTY WHICH my biggest passions: photography LIES IN PEOPLE AROUND US. and travel. I started a journey around the world with small savings I made in years of working. I was traveling on a low budget, photographing women from very diverse environments and sharing their portraits on Facebook. 12
I named my project “The Atlas of Beauty” because I wanted to celebrate women from all corners of the planet and their diverse cultures. One year ago, The Atlas of Beauty went viral. Millions of people found out about my story and saw my photos on their Facebook feed. Suddenly, a project that was only known in my country became a worldwide sensation. Through my photography, I try to show that beauty is in our differences, and it’s not about trends, money or races, but more about being yourself, natural and authentic. I think we should learn to be ourselves but we should also learn to let others be themselves. Many people from all around the world face discrimination just because they have a certain color, 13
religion, ethnicity or, in most of the cases, because they are women. For me beauty is diversity and I think it can teach us to be more tolerant. I believe that art is not just for elites. I really want to communicate with all women because each one
of us can make a change. Together we can bring more tolerance and gender equality in the world. And what I love about Facebook is that it gives us the chance to be in the same community, despite our differences. It empowers us to make the world a more equal place. I never imagined that the voice of an ordinary woman from Romania could be heard all around the world or that my photos would be seen by millions of people. If my dream could come true, any dream can come true.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
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ATLA S An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets (and their satellites) in the Solar System. Furthermore, atlases of anatomy exist, mapping out the human body or other organisms. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic features and political boundaries, many atlases often feature geopolitical, social, religious and economic statistics. They also have information about the map and places in it. 14
CARTOGRAPHY. Is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively. LATITUDE. Geographic coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the Earth’s surface.
LONGITUDE. Geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth’s surface. 15
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
From North to South.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
64°08′N 21°56′W
ICELAND CAPITAL: REYKJAVÍK POPULATION: 332 529 AREA: 102 775 KM 2
LANGUAGE: ICELANDIC CALLING CODE: +354
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Thorunn describes the moment of her daughter’s birth as a miracle. They were both healthy and together they overcame that terrible challenge. The pregnancy and the first months of her daughter’s life made Thorunn see things in a different perspective. She remembered her childhood and adolescence when she had doubts about herself, thinking she was not good or beautiful enough, compared with SHE LOST HER VISION AND women she saw in the media. EXPERIENCED NOSEBLEEDS AND Thorunn says that she wants her TERRIBLE HEADACHES. daughter to look in the mirror and be happy and confident with what she sees. To focus on her intelligence, abilities and passions, instead of trying to be somebody else. After she became a mother, Thorunn started to feel more connected with other women. One night, in December 2015, she was thinking about how much energy women spend working against each other REYKJAVÍK. when they should be supporting one another. She 64° 8′ 0″ N 21° 56′ 0″ W decided to start a Facebook group called “Góða Systir” Þórunn Antonía Magnúsdóttir is uniting women in (meaning “Good Sister”). She thought it would be a Iceland through a Facebook group focused on pogroup for a few people she knew, but after inviting sitivity and changing the narrative that women are 50 friends, the group took off. She says in about three catty and don’t support one another. The group has days, more than 50,000 women had joined. more than 50,000 members, which is astonishing, She believes that women can make so much more considering that this is nearly a third of Iceland’s progress toward gender equality by working togefemale population. ther, and the first step is to reduce the feelings of I met Thorunn in her hometown, Reykjavik, during a insecurity and competition among them, which her freezing day. But her warm and positive personality group aims to do every day. made me forget instantly about the coldness. Thorunn noticed that in the Western world many Thorunn is a popular singer and songwriter in Iceland. women become defeminized. Some think that we’re She was a TV host and a judge for Iceland’s Got Talent. supposed to be strong by acting like man, she says, But her life suddenly changed when she got pregnant. but we possess a lot of strength and power in our During her pregnancy, Thorunn went through drafemininity and we should celebrate that. Sometimes, matic moments. She lost her vision and experienced talking about your emotions and problems is consinosebleeds and terrible headaches. dered a sign of weakness, but Thorunn created the She was misdiagnosed in the early stages, and her Good Sister group where women can share honestly life was in great danger. But she didn’t let this bring their worries and dreams. Thorunn herself shared her her down. She remained strong and positive and intense experience of pregnancy and childbirth. Each the doctors came with the accurate diagnosis just month the group also raises money for a member in in time to save her and her baby’s life. She was need. Thorunn believes that all women in the world suffering from a very rare obstetric complication, should be like sisters and she dreams about a bright called HELLP syndrome. future for her daughter. And she’s already building it. 19
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
60°10′N 024°56′E
FINLAND CAPITAL: HELSINKI POPULATION: 5 488 543 AREA: 338 424 KM 2
LANGUAGE: FINNISH, SWEDISH CALLING CODE: +358
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HELSINKI.
60° 10′ 15″ N 24° 56′ 15″ E
Aliisa is originally from Lapland, Finland, one of the coldest places in the world. But her smile is warm and contagious. I met her 3 days ago on the streets of Helsinki, the capital of Finland, where she’s working in a kindergarten, assisting a little girl with disabilities who cannot move without help. For Aliisa this is more than a job. She is amazed how the little girl finds happiness in small things and she feels inspired by her positivity. Today I arrived in Saint Petersburg, Russia, with The Atlas of Beauty.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
59°21′N 18°4′E
SWEDEN CAPITAL: STOCKHOLM POPULATION: 9 920 881 AREA: 420 295 KM 2 LANGUAGE: SWEDISH CALLING CODE: +46
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OREBRO.
59° 16′ 0″ N 15° 13′ 0″ E
AT 54 YEARS LIVES THE
Gita is from Örebro, Sweden. I was having a bad day, but her serene presence and wisdom gave SHE FEELS YOUNG AND me a great optimistic mood. She had difficult moments in her past but at BEST TIME OF HER LIFE 54 years she feels young and lives the best time of her life. She’s a life coach and the proud mother of two daughters.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : S W E D E N
STOCKHOLM. 64º 7’ 35.47” N
21º 49’ 2.78” W
Even on the rainy days, most of the people of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, prefer to walk or use a bicycle, rather than a car. Emilia stopped for a few minutes and told me about the happiest moment of her life. She was recently chosen for an important part in an opera. To step on the stage of Royal Swedish Opera, MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF STOCKHOLM, THE at only 20 years old, as a CAPITAL OF SWEDEN, PREFER TO WALK OR USE soprano, was an incredBICYCLE, RATHER THAN A CAR. ible experience for her. Being surrounded by famous opera singers and having her family in the audience made her prouder than ever. I’m sure that this is just the beginning of a wonderful career.
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A
STOCKHOLM. 6 4º 7’ 35.47” N
21º 49’ 2.78” W
These beautiful flowers were a gift for her mother. I took this photo three days ago in Stockholm, Sweden, where the Mother’s Day was celebrated. Today I arrived in Helsinki, Finland.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
56°57′N 24°6′E
L AT V I A CAPITAL: RIGA POPULATION: 1 973 700 AREA: 64 589 KM 2
LANGUAGE: LATVIAN CALLING CODE: +371
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
55°45′N 37°37′E
RUSSIA CAPITAL: MOSCOWI POPULATION: 144 192 450 AREA: 17 075 200 KM 2 LANGUAGE: RUSSIAN CALLING CODE: +7
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SAINT PETERSBURG, ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR CITIES IN THE WORLD.” Mihaela Noroc
SAINT PETERSBURG. 59° 56′ 0″ N 30° 20′ 0″ E
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : R U S S I A
ROSTOV.
57° 11′ 0″ N 39° 25′ 0″ E
Grandmother and granddaughter in Rostov, Russia. Two wonderful women passionate about handmade art. Tamara, the grandmother, weaves traditional textiles, while Sonya, the granddaughter, makes astonishing ball-jointed dolls. After one month of travel in Russia, today I arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan.
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FAR WA S N E V E R A SYNO NYM O F I M P O S S I B L E .
KOROLYOV.
55° 55′ 0″ N 37° 51′ 0″ E
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She’s Nastya, from Korolyov, Russia, in front of the small shop where she works, taking passport photos. However her wish is to take landscape photos around the world. Some time ago she made the first step to her dream, starting to study photography, while also working hard to make a living. From the small shop where she works, her dream seems far away, but “far” was never a synonym of “impossible”.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : R U S S I A
SAINT PETERSBURG. 59° 56′ 0″ N 30° 20′ 0″ E
Anastasia, from Saint Petersburg, Russia, is a ballerina at Mariinsky, one of the world’s greatest ballet companies. During childhood, her younger sister was the one who dreamed to become a ballet dancer. When she was ten years old, Anastasia accompanied her sister to a ballet audition, whitout imagining that this will change her life. The teacher insisted that Anastasia should take the test too. They were both accepted. Ten years later, Anastasia is part of one of the leading ballet companies in the world. Her sister recently started law school.
THAT’S ME IN SAINT PETERSBURG, ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR CITIES IN THE WORLD. THIS MONTH I WILL EXPLORE RUSSIA WITH THE ATLAS OF BEAUTY.
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GROZNY, CHECHNYA. 43° 19′ 0″ N 45° 43′ 0″ E
Linda is from Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, a republic in Southern Russia where ancient traditions mix with modernity and many women wear colourful scarves on their head. While visiting this unique place a few days ago, I discovered a new city, totally rebuilt, but where memories of war are still alive. In 2003 the United Nations called I DISCOVERED A NEW CITY, TOTALLY Grozny the most destroyed city on REBUILT, BUT WHERE MEMORIES OF earth after years of terrible battles. WAR ARE STILL ALIVE. In one of these battles, Linda lost her father, who was accidentally shot in his way to work. At that time, Linda’s mother was pregnant with her second child. Linda and her sister were raised by a single mother, in a time of war, but received a wonderful education. Today Linda studies medicine preparing to become a paediatrician. This strong Chechen woman had a tough childhood and now she wants to dedicate her life to help other children in need.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
52°41′N 21°02′E
POLAND CAPITAL: WARSAW POPULATION: 38 483 957 AREA: 312 679 KM 2 LANGUAGE: POLISH CALLING CODE: +48
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WARSAW.
52° 13’ 47 N 21° 0’ 42 E
You can’t imagine what a joyful woman is Ania. She has one of the most impressive stories that I ever heard. Ania was born in Poland, 24 years ago, without a right leg. Her mother abandoned her in the maternity hospital and begged a doctor to take care of her. “The doctor kept me illegally in the maternity hospital for many months. She knew that if I would be sent to an orphanage I could never have a normal life, in my situation.” When Ania was 19 months old, she was adopted by a Belgian family. “My parents are amazing. They adopted more children with disabilities and we all grew up happily in the countryside of Belgium, surrounded by animals from farms, enjoying nature. 35
I always loved sports. As a kid, I had many adventures. I was running on the rocks and in the forests, I was always feeling free and independent. I broke my prosthetic several times. Back than it was impossible to have a proper one for sport, because I didn’t have a femur. Every night, before falling asleep, I was imagining myself running and running like an athlete. And my only dream was to have a proper prosthetic for sport. After a while, I started to think that if I will become an well known athlete, my biological mother will see me in the media and I will have the chance to find her in Poland. I really wanted to tell her that I never condemned her for what happened.”
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
52°22′N 4°53′E
NETHERLANDS CAPITAL: AMSTERDAM
POPULATION: 17 000 059 AREA: 41 543 KM 2 LANGUAGE: DUTCH CALLING CODE: +31
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AMSTERDAM.
52° 22’ 23” N 4° 53’ 32” E
“We are resting, after a long day at work.” Rachelle is from Amsterdam, Netherlands, where I met her one month ago.
AMSTERDAM.
52° 22’ 23” N 4° 53’ 32” E
“My grandfather was a doctor, my father is a doctor and I will also be a doctor.” Meike lives close to Amsterdam, Netherlands, where I met her two weeks ago. She didn’t choose to study medicine just to follow a family tradition, but because she had the chance to see that this is the best way to help people.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
52° 31′ 0″ N, 13° 23′ 0″ E
GERMANY CAPITAL: BERLIN POPULATION: 82 200 000 AREA: 357 168 KM 2
LANGUAGE: GERMAN CALLING CODE: +351
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BERLIN.
52° 31′ 0″ N 13° 23′ 0″ E
Cornelia is a two times cancer survivor. I photographed her a few days ago next to the remnant of the Berlin wall. It was the fall of this wall that made her move to the capital of Germany in the early 90s. She was a young journalist from the Western part of the country and Berlin was the place to be for her. As a journalist, Cornelia witnessed many historical events. At the same time, she gave birth to two beautiful children and always had a healthy lifestyle. But 8 years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer, for the first time. This terrible disease affects millions of women, all over the world. After a lot of suffering and struggles, Cornelia defeated the cancer. Then, two years ago she was again diagnosed with the same disease. And again, she beat it. Today Cornelia feels privileged for every CORNELIA IS A TWO second of her life. She CANCER SURVIVOR. enjoys the sun and the rain, the hot days and the cold days, while riding her bicycle around Berlin. She encourages her children to make to most of their life, to travel the world, help people in need, learn foreign languages and understand the diverse cultures of this beautiful planet.
MUNIQUE. 48º 8’ 6.45” N
TIMES
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11º 34’ 55.13” E
Oktoberfest is one of the biggest festivities in the world, having been held in Munich, Germany, since 1810. It’s not just the festival where millions of beers are served but also the place where thousands of Bavarian people wear with pride their folk outfits. On the first festival Sunday, around 8000 participants, mostly from Bavaria, march in a spectacular parade in traditional costumes. I witnessed this event one week ago. This young woman started to march with her group right after I took this photo so I didn’t even had the chance to find out her name. I hope she will see this post.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : G E R M A N Y
BERLIN.
52° 31′ 0″ N 13° 23′ 0″ E
This German young woman travels as much as she can. Her loved ones are spread all over the world and she is still searching for a place where she would love to live. Lisa was coming from a trip when I met her 3 weeks ago, on the streets of Berlin. She carried a huge backpack with her and many interesting memories. When she started to talk her cheeks turned red. Her blushing was lovely but for many years she felt embarrassed about it. “I was very insecure with my skin. I thought people could look through me. Everyone could see when I was nervous or excited.
I love to sing, I was in some bands but I was too afraid to sing in front of audience because of my skin which used to get very blotchy. I hated it because of the red spots and all the scars of the accident.” When she was 11 years old Lisa was hit by a tram. “I had many broken bones, some smashed organs and plenty of angels by my side.” She incredibly survived. Today she can walk, she can travel, she can do whatever she wants. And most important, she learned to accept her scars and her blushing. In the end, beauty is about being yourself, natural and authentic.
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BERLIN.
52° 31′ 0″ N 13° 23′ 0″ E
These days I’m in Berlin, Germany. Every Sunday afternoon, from spring to early autumn, thousands of people gather in Mauerpark to attend a famous Karaoke show where anybody can sing. Anais, who is in love with music, was in the park last Sunday, wearing a beautiful African outfit. Born in France from a Malian mother and a French father, she moved to Berlin a few years ago. When she’s in Mali, people say she’s white. When she’s in France, people say WHEN SHE’S she’s black. But Anais always PEOPLE SAY felt both African and European and loves the fact that she has WHEN SHE’S such a diverse family. PEOPLE SAY
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IN MALI, SHE’S WHITE. IN GERMANY, SHE’S BLACK.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
51°30′N 0°7′W
UNITED KINGDOM CAPITAL: LONDON POPULATION: 65 110 000 AREA: 242 495 KM 2 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH CALLING CODE: +44
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LONDON.
51° 30′ 28″ N 0° 7′ 41″ W
She is a painter and she is studying philosophy of art. Her dream is to become an academician. Next week I will start the crowdfunding campaign. Together we can continue this project!
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
47°55′N 106°53′E
MONGOLIA CAPITAL: ULAANBAATAR POPULATION: 3 081 677 AREA: 1 566 000 KM 2 LANGUAGE: MONGOLIAN CYRILLIC, MONGOLIAN SCRIPT CALLING CODE: +976
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ULAANBAATAR.
47° 55′ 12″ N 106° 55′ 12″ E
Mongolia, a few weeks ago.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : M O N G O L I A
ULAANBAATAR.
47° 55′ 12″ N 106° 55′ 12″ E
When you say Mongolia you think about picturesque nomads and yurts. But this is not the case in the modern downtown of the capital. She’s a real estate agent in Ulaanbaatar and I photographed her during the lunch break.
ULAANBAATAR. 47° 55′ 12″ N
106° 55′ 12″ E
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in August.
ULAANBAATAR.
47° 55′ 12″ N 106° 55′ 12″ E
Photographed in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
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MORON.
49° 38′ 8″ N 100° 9′ 20″ E
Mörön, Mongolia in August 2015. Now I’m traveling in Ethiopia.
WHEN YOU SAY MONGOLIA YOU THINK ABOUT PICTURESQUE NOMADS AND YURTS.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
47°0′N 28°55′E
M O L D O VA CAPITAL: CHIȘINĂU POPULATION: 2 913 281 AREA: 33 846 KM 2
LANGUAGE: MOLDAVAN CALLING CODE: +373
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Young woman from Moldova.
“The idea came to me in Ethiopia on a trip with my husband,” Noroc says. “The women there were a mix of all types, some Arab faces, some African faces, but what struck me was that the women retained their traditional fashions and traditional ways – they did not participate in the modern world as such. So it was this mix of an old style of being and dressing, but in this very new time, now, that I thought would be best revealed in portraits of them.” GUY MARTIN, FORBES, FEV 2016
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
46°57′N 7°27′E
SWITZERLAND CAPITAL: BERN POPULATION: 8 341 000 AREA: 41 285 KM 2 LANGUAGE: GERMAN, FRENCH CALLING CODE: +41
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ZURICH.
47° 22′ 0″ N 8° 33′ 0″ E
Elisabeth is from Zürich, Switzerland. In 1947, when she was a teenager, Elisabeth became a model for a ceramic artist. She fell in love with ceramic art and day by day she learned it by watching. And that’s how it became her passion and profession for the rest of her life. She had to stop twice. At 39 years old she had a terrible car accident and she went through 19 surgeries. Almost 35 years later she had to stop again. Her husband was diagnosed with cancer and Elisabeth took care of him till the last moment of his life. Today Elisabeth’s work is displayed in many public areas of Switzerland. When I met her a few weeks ago on the streets of Zürich, she was coming from a printing shop where she picked up some business cards. At 83 years old she enjoys life, she makes new friends and still remembers very well how she fell in love with ceramic art almost 70 years ago.
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ZURICH.
47° 22′ 0″ N 8° 33′ 0″ E
Patricia and Rebecca, from Switzerland, are sisters. There’s only one-year difference between them. “When we were small, most of the kids laughed at our red hair. But that brought us closer to each other.” Years have passed and I noticed them in Zürich Central Station, two days ago. There was something magical about them.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
45°24′N 75°40′W
CANADA CAPITAL: OTTAWA POPULATION: 36 286 670 AREA: 9 984 670 KM2 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH, FRENCH CALLING CODE: +1
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WINNIPEG.
49° 53′ 58″ N 97° 8′ 21″ W
Jackie is a First Nations painter and activist from Winnipeg, Canada. She started to paint while she was in prison and this changed her life. I met her 5 months ago and I was fascinated by her story and her incredible strength. Back in the 60s and 70s, thousands of indigenous children living on reserves were taken from their families and brought to the city to be adopted or interned in boarding schools. As a child, Jackie spent a lot of time in a boarding school, while her brother and two sisters were sent for adoption in SHE GOT INTO TROUBLE AND other areas. After losENDED UP IN A WOMEN’S JAIL. ing her mother, she found herself alone in the world. Without hope and support, she got into trouble and ended up in a women’s jail. While in detention, she started to paint. This was the turning point in her life. Jackie’s paintings and birthday cards became very popular in prison, be53
ing bought by the other women. For the first time, her life had meaning. This gave her strength and hope to start a new path. After being released, she took her portfolio to the University of Manitoba and was accepted to study fine arts. After years of hard work and studies, her paintings became more appreciated, and Jackie started to make a name for herself. But she didn’t forget about other First Nations women. Hundreds of indigenous women have disappeared, committed suicide or been murdered in Winnipeg since Jackie was born. She wanted to raise awareness about that and make a change. That’s why First Nations women are the main theme of her painting and her activism. Jackie has three daughters and one granddaughter, and she wants to create a safer world for them. “I didn’t have anybody to stick up for me when I was young,” she told me. “But my daughters and my granddaughter have me to stick up for them.”
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
44°25′N 26°06′E
ROMANIA CAPITAL: BUCHAREST POPULATION: 19 511 000 AREA: 238 391 KM 2 LANGUAGE: ROMANIAN CALLING CODE: +40
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BUCHAREST.
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
Magda is from Bucharest, Romania, where I photographed her one month ago. In 2005 she experienced a terrible car accident, as a passenger. In most parts of the world, people in wheelchairs are condemned to isolation by authorities. While traveling around the planet I visited tens of countries where you don’t see them at all, in public areas. Why? Because in all those places, leaving your home in a wheelchair is almost an impossible mission due to that lack of infrastructure. But Magda wants to change the way people in wheelchairs are treated, at least in her country,
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through some amazing initiatives. Since a few years ago she regularly organises an event dedicated to beauty where the protagonists are people in wheelchairs. Her goal is to show that they are all talented, capable and beautiful. Through this initiative, Magda changed many lives, giving more confidence to many wonderful women. In the meantime some of them started families and became mothers. Magda is also the mother of a six-year-old daughter. Through their passion, strength and generosity people like her make the world a better place.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : R O M A N I A
BUCHAREST.
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
Iulia is from Bucharest, Romania which is also my hometown. She loves to cruise the streets of the city with her longboard because it gives her a great feeling of freedom. I imagine it feels like vacation, even when you’re on the way to work. But her greatest passion is surfing and she dreams to ride the waves of Hawaii someday.
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I LOVE THE DIVERSITY OF OUR PLANET, BUT FOR ME THERE IS ONLY ONE HOME, ROMANIA.
BUCHAREST.
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
She started learning jewellery making when she was 16 years old. 44 years later she still continues her journey, as a jeweller, in this fascinating field. I took this photo, a few days ago, in Bucharest, Romania. Soon I will arrive in Sofia, Bulgaria with The Atlas of Beauty.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : R O M A N I A
BUCHAREST.
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
Bucharest, Romania, a few months ago. Now I’m in Nepal with The Atlas of Beauty.
CLUJ.
46° 46′ 0″ N 23° 35′ 0″ E
A ceramic art student inside an workshop. Few weeks ago in Cluj, Romania.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : R O M A N I A
TIMISOARA.
45° 45′ 35″ N 21° 13′ 48″ E
She is half Lebanese and half Romanian from Timisoara, Romania
CLUJ.
BUCHAREST.
Cluj, in the heart of Transylvania, Romania.
Few days ago in Bucharest, Romania.
46° 46′ 0″ N 23° 35′ 0″ E
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
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MARAMURES.
47° 40′ 22.04″ N 24° 0′ 18.47″ E
I was in a village, in north of Romania. I entered in a bar and young people were having fun like in an ordinary disco. The difference was that the music and most of their clothes were traditional. This is Maramures, a magical region with ancient customs were I found a lot of natural and authentic beauty for my project. For The Atlas of Beauty any share is a chance to grow and continue. There are villages in northern Romania where the traditional costume is worn during the celebrations. Places where people assume their origins, keeping their authenticity. Even here, however,the globalisation arrived and young people tend to give up everything that’s traditional. Through The Atlas of Beauty I want to show that we can be beautiful developing what we have, instead of copying badly what doesn’t belong to us.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : R O M A N I A
MARAMURES.
47° 40′ 22.04″ N 24° 0′ 18.47″ E
Last Christmas I was searching for beauty in Maramures, an amazing region of my country, Romania, where even the modern people wear traditional outfits during celebrations. Merry Christmas!
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BUCHAREST.
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
In my beautiful country, Romania, and in other many places of Eastern Europe, today we celebrate Easter, an occasion to reveal old and fascinating traditions.
BUCHAREST.
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
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Today is the National Day of my beautiful country. I love to travel around the world, I love to capture the diversity of our planet, but for me there is only one home and its name is Romania.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
42°52′N 74°36′E
K Y R G Y Z S TA N CAPITAL: BISHKEK POPULATION: 6 000 000 AREA: 199 951 KM 2 LANGUAGE: RUSSIAN, KYRGYZ CALLING CODE: +996
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BISHKEK.
42° 52′ 29″ N 74° 36′ 44″ E
Before her performance in a traditional show, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. 65
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : K Y R G Y Z S T A N
BISHKEK.
42° 52′ 29″ N 74° 36′ 44″ E
Ethnic Uzbek from Kyrgyzstan.
OSH.
40° 31′ 48″ N 72° 48′ 0″ E
Osh, Kyrgyzstan, during the summer of 2015. Now The Atlas of Beauty is in India. 66
BISHKEK.
42° 52′ 29″ N 74° 36′ 44″ E
A beautiful donut seller in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. A few days ago I posted a photo of this beautiful donut seller from Kyrgyzstan, that I photographed in August. Two days ago the local press did a reportage about her. Another young woman from Tajikistan, that plants flowers, caught media attention around the world after appearing in The Atlas of Beauty. I really hope that my photos will bring a change in good in the lives of all women I photograph. It’s probably the greatest joy for me, as a photographer.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : K Y R G Y Z S T A N
OSH.
40° 31′ 48″ N 72° 48′ 0″ E
Baker in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.
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BISHKEK. 42° 52′ 29″ N 74° 36′ 44″ E
Nomadic life in Kyrgyzstan, captured in July.
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I REALLY HOPE THAT MY PHOTOS WILL BRING A CHANGE IN GOOD IN THE LIVES OF ALL WOMEN I PHOTOGRAPH. IT’S PROBABLY THE GREATEST JOY FOR ME, AS A PHOTOGRAPHER. Mihaela Noroc
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
42°41′N 23°19′E
BULGARIA CAPITAL: SOFIA POPULATION: 7 202 198 AREA: 110 994 KM 2 LANGUAGE: BULGARIAN CALLING CODE: +359
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SOFIA.
42° 42′ 0″ N 23° 20′ 0″ E
SHE PUT ALL THE IN HER
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Tzvetana is an amazing mix of grace and strength. Her name comes from the word “flower”, in Bulgarian. She plays in the national ice hockey team of Bulgaria. Although this sport is not very EFFORTS popular in her country, she put all the PASSION. efforts in her passion. It meant great sacrifices to follow her dream, because ice hockey is an expensive and tough sport, and she did it without losing her innocence and beautiful smile.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
41°54′N 12°29′E
I TA LY CAPITAL: ROME POPULATION: 60 674 003 AREA: 301 338 KM 2 LANGUAGE: ITALIAN CALLING CODE: +39
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NAPLES.
40° 50′ 0″ N 14° 15′ 0″ E
It’s enough to see these sisters together to understand that they have a special relationship. Monica, Francesca and Rosanna are originally from Naples, Italy, where I met them 2 days ago. Now they all live in different parts of Italy, far from each other, but once in a while they come back to their native place to see their mother and enjoy some time together.
MILAN.
45° 28′ 0″ N 9° 10′ 0″ E
In terms of fashion, Milan is one of the most important cities in the world. Beautiful women from all over the planet come here to work as models. But there are thousands of LAILE DIDN’T WANT ME TO other beautiful women in the city and PHOTOGRAPH HER BECAUSE SHE SAID their beauty usually goes unnoticed. SHE’S NOT BEAUTIFUL ENOUGH. In the beginning, Laile didn’t want me to photograph her because she said she’s not beautiful enough. I hope this post and your comments will make her realise how beautiful she is. I took this photo two weeks ago in Milan, Italy. Now I’m in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with The Atlas of Beauty. 73
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : I T A L Y
ISLAND OF SARDINIA. 40° 0′ 0″ N 9° 0′ 0″ E
The island of Sardinia is an autonomous region of Italy. There you will have the chance to hear the Sardinian language sometimes, considered by many scholars the closest to Latin, and see some of the most diverse traditional costumes in the world. Each village and town has its own traditional outfits, incredibly different from each other. THE ISLAND OF SARDINIA IS AN These are usually worn during important celebrations, AUTONOMOUS REGION OF ITALY. when hundreds of Sardinian women and men gather and parade in their folk costumes. Johara is from a small Sardinian town called Ottana. I met her 10 days ago, during the Feast of the Redeemer in Nuoro, a few kilometres from her home. 74
MILAN.
45° 28′ 0″ N 9° 10′ 0″ E
I met Daniela in one of the markets of Milan, Italy, a few weeks ago. She works around 10, 12 hours, everyday. She didn’t have an easy life. She moved to Milan from Southern Italy and over the years she went through three miscarriages and one divorce. But all the pain and hard work didn’t stop her from being an optimistic and warm-hearted person. Beautiful people like Daniela don’t appear on the covers of magazines. But they appear everyday on the paths of our lives. We just have to open our eyes and see them.
MILAN.
45° 28′ 0″ N 9° 10′ 0″ E
Mother and daughter on the streets of Milan, Italy, a few weeks ago. Caterina, the daughter, started to dance when she was 3 years old. “I always said to my mother that I want to become a ballerina.” And Barbara, the mother, always supported her. They both moved to Milan from their small town so Caterina could fulfil her dream and study ballet from an early age in one of the most prestigious schools in the world. Her brother and her father had to remain home, a few hundred kilometres away. Art requires huge sacrifices, years of hard work and difficulties, but great things never come easy. Just imagine how Barbara feels today when she sees Caterina dancing on one of the most famous stages in the world: the stage of La Scala.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
ISLAND OF SARDINIA. 40° 0′ 0″ N 9° 0′ 0″ E
There’s something magical about the island of Sardinia, Italy. Sardinians gather often for festivals and parades to present their beautiful outfits, dances and music. Almost each town and village has its own costumes and the diversity is incredible for one single region. Giulia is from a small Sardinian town called Villaurbana. I met her in August, during the Feast of the Redeemer in Nuoro.
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MILAN.
45° 28′ 0″ N 9° 10′ 0″ E
Malika is from Milan, Italy, where I photographed her in September. She was born from an Italian mother and a Moroccan father. She lives in a city which is famous for fashion. With her features and height she could easily be a successful model. “Many people from fashion industry tried to convince me to become a model. But I have other passions. I was never into fashion. I’m actually in love with hiking. When I was 8, I entered in a Scouting group and I started to explore the nature. I often go to the mountains. I hike there alone and I don’t see any human being for days. I always do that when I feel stressed and tired.” Malika is not scared at all to be alone in the wilderness because she learned everything about exploring the nature since her childhood. “I I HIKE THERE ALONE AND live in a rough neighbourhood of Milan and sometimes it’s a I DON’T SEE ANY HUMAN bit dangerous for a woman there. So I actually feel safer in the mountains than in the city.” BEING FOR DAYS.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
41°16′N 69°13′E
U Z B E K I S TA N CAPITAL: TASHKENT POPULATION: 31 576 400 AREA: 448978 KM 2 LANGUAGE: UZBEK CALLING CODE: +998
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : U Z B E K I S T A N
BUKHARA.
39° 46′ 0″ N 64° 26′ 0″ E
“BEAUTY IS
EVERYWHERE. Mihaela Noroc
TASHKENT.
41° 16′ 0″ N 69° 13′ 0″ E
She is a market seller in Uzbekistan. 80
TASHKENT.
41° 16′ 0″ N 69° 13′ 0″ E
I traveled with 15 months Atlas Beauty, with a ridiculously small budget for such an endeavor. There were months of sacrifice and deprivation in which I would not have survived without the support and encouragement. Beauty Atlas in recent weeks appeared all over the international media, and his story has been read by over 100 million people. Given that the phrase “Romanian photographer” appeared in the biggest publications in the world, I thought that even now I get from home support I need to continue. But I was wrong. I got nothing. Not even a photographic lens that we need.
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I’m tired of humiliating me in front of people and companies that could uosr to help me, but they will not. I am tired of listening to promises to look for funds and do not always have time for the project itself. Next week I will start an online fundraising campaign (crowd-funding) and I hope you will be with me. It’s the only chance to keep this Romanian project, unique in the world. The following weeks will be crucial for the project and will beg you to join me. More than ever I need your support, of everyone, no matter how small! If we are many, we will succeed. Only, just can not!
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
40°25′N 49°50′E
AZERBAIJAN CAPITAL: BAKU POPULATION: 9 754 830 AREA: 86 600 KMº LANGUAGE: AZERBAIJANI CALLING CODE: +994
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BAKU.
40° 23′ 13″ N 49° 53′ 27″ E
I had the chance to talk with many wonderful women while visiting Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, a few weeks ago. In a society dominated by men, where many women are still afraid to be photographed without asking permission from their husbands, things are changing. There are more and more Azerbaijani women who fight for gender equality and although they are now a minority, I’m sure they will soon be a majority. Fidan is one of these amazing women who would never start a relationship, if she wouldn’t be treated equally and respected. 83
Maybe this doesn’t sound so impressive for some people, but believe me, it takes a lot of courage and strength to do that in many parts of the world. Just wanna add that gender inequality is a major problem in more than 80% of the countries that I visited, and there are many countries in the world where situation is much worse than in Azerbaijan. I was criticising gender inequality, not Azerbaijan, a place were people treated me great. On the contrary. Things are getting better there, for women, while in other countries, the situation is getting worse. In Azerbaijan equal rights between man and women are granted by laws. But in reality there is still much inequality. There were still many women in Baku who told me that they cannot be photographed, without asking permission from their husbands and that made me sad. On the other hand, I met many women like Fidan, who would never accept to be treated unequally in a relationship, who are changing the situation. And through this post I want to encourage them all.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
39°2′N 125°45′E
NORTH KOREA CAPITAL: PYONGYANG
POPULATION: 24 895 000 AREA: 120 540 KM 2
LANGUAGE: KOREAN
CALLING CODE: +850
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KAESONG.
37° 58′ 0″ N, 126° 33′ 0″ E
During celebrations and other special occasions North Korean women wear traditional dresses. I photographed her in September, in Kaesong, North Korea. Now The Atlas of Beauty is in India.
PYONGYANG.
39° 2′ 0″ N 125° 45′ 0″ E
Humanity goes beyond countries or politics. In North Korea I met amazing warm-hearted women and although they live in a totally different world I felt a strong connection with them.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : N O R T H K O R E A
PYONGYANG.
39° 2′ 0″ N 125° 45′ 0″ E
Before entering North Korea, I was thinking I would be lucky if I make a portrait there. Came back with a photo series, surprised that women were really open to be photographed. This image demonstrates the classical, elegant style of dress preferred in the DPRK. I met her on one of the largest boulevards of Pyongyang, the capital of the country, in September 2015.
PYONGYANG.
39° 2′ 0″ N 125° 45′ 0″ E
A portrait shot in the capital, Pyongyang.
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“
PYONGYANG.
39° 2′ 0″ N 125° 45′ 0″ E
EVERYBODY WAS TELLING ME
The uniform worn by a worker at the military museum in Pyongyang. The most popular mode of transport in North Korea is bicycles: ‘Women travel alone and seem independent – I saw them often on the streets.’
THAT IN NORTH KOREA THEY HAVE A SAYING: ‘NORTH KOREA HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN THE PENINSULA, WHILE SOUTH KOREA [HAS] THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MEN’.” Mihaela Noroc
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
39°55′N 116°23′E
CHINA CAPITAL: BEIJING POPULATION: 1 376 049 000 AREA: 9 596 961KMº LANGUAGE: CHINESE CALLING CODE: +86
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XIAHE.
35° 12′ 0″ N 102° 31′ 0″ E
A Han Chinese women in Xiahe, China.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : C H I N A
CHENGDU.
30° 39′ 49″ N 104° 4′ 0″ E
This delicate and elegant lady drives a rickshaw everyday, on the busy streets of Chengdu, one of the biggest cities in China.
GUANGZHOU.
23° 8′ 0″ N 113° 16′ 0″ E
Guangzhou, China, a few days ago. 90
BEIJING.
39° 55′ 0″ N 116° 23′ 0″ E
Beijing, China. I photographed her in September.
CHENGDU.
30° 39′ 49″ N 104° 4′ 0″ E
Bright night in Chengdu, China, a few days ago. 91
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
GUANGZHOU.
23° 8′ 0″ N 113° 16′ 0″ E
Accompanied by her mother and her husband, she was on the way to the hospital, to give birth. I captured this rare moment in Guangzhou, China, in August 2015.
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MANY PEOPLE THINK IT’S EASY TO PHOTOGRAPH WOMEN, IF YOU ARE A WOMAN TOO. Mihaela Noroc
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BEIJING.
39° 55′ 0″ N 116° 23′ 0″ E
It’s my first day in China with The Atlas of Beauty and I started to explore the streets of Beijing. She studies with passion to become a Peking Opera singer.
CHENGDU.
30° 39′ 49″ N 104° 4′ 0″ E
I had days when I approached dozens of women on the street and they all said no. Many people think it’s easy to photograph women, if you are a woman too. But in many areas of the world it’s incredibly difficult. That was not the case in China. Women there were absolutely happy to be photographed. I took this photo in Chengdu, China, a few months ago. 93
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
39°56′N 32°50′E
TURKEY CAPITAL: ANKARA POPULATION: 79 4663 663 AREA: 783 356 KM 2 LANGUAGE: TURKISH, TURK CALLING CODE: +90
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ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
She moved from Cyprus to Istanbul, Turkey to study acting.
ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
Kurdish young woman from Istanbul, Turkey.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
In this photo you will see some typical things for Turkey. A bazaar, people drinking tea, flags, a portrait with Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. But not a typical Turkish face, because the truth is that you cannot define that. While traveling around the world, I realised that each country reveals much more diversity than we think, in terms of people. Sometimes we imagine that all Scandinavians are blond with blue eyes or that all Turkish people have very dark hair and brown eyes. And, what is worse, is that we go forward with this misconceptions thinking that people THIS WORLD HAS MUCH MORE are good or bad, just based on their DIVERSITY THAN WE IMAGINE nationality or ethnicity. But this world has much more diversity than we imagine and each human being is different. Ipek, a future elementary school teacher, is from Izmir, Turkey, and I met her two weeks ago in the bazaar of her city. 96
ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
Last summer I spent many beautiful days on Istiklal Avenue, in Istanbul, Turkey. Back then, it was one of the most vibrant places on earth. Nowhere in the world I took so many photos for The Atlas of Beauty. It was the street where I heard many fascinating stories, where I met modern and traditional women, most of them Turkish, like the one from this photo, but also Kurdish. Istiklal was a magical place for my project. The same Istiklal was the scene of a terrible terrorist attack, two days ago. My thoughts go to all people affected by this tragedy and by all similar tragedies that happen all over the world, these days. There is much more love and beauty in the world, than hate, but hate, unfortunately, is always more visible and painful. Don’t let it bring you down!
ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
A Tea House in Istanbul, Turkey, two days ago.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : T U R K E Y
ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
Turkish Cypriot in Istanbul, Turkey.
ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
Pride Parade, yesterday in Istanbul, Turkey.
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ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
I met her on the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, one year ago. She was studying intensely to become an actress. Back then her amazing city, one of my favourites in the world, was peaceful. In the last year Istanbul became the scene of I REALISED THAT IS NOT THE many terrible terrorist attacks. My thoughts go to all people affected RELIGION, THE COLOUR OR THE by these attacks and by similar tragedies that happen all over the ETHNICITY THE REAL REASON FOR planet, these days. While traveling to some conflict areas around the world I realised CONFLICTS AND INTOLERANCE. that is not the religion, the colour or the ethnicity the real reason for conflicts and intolerance. But the ego and greed of a small group of people. They would do anything to raise hate among ordinary people and make us be part of their wars. I hope that our love can be stronger than their greed. 99
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : T U R K E Y
ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
A finnish young woman, photographed in my first journey around the world. Today I start the second journey around the world with The Atlas of Beauty. First stop: Istanbul, Turkey. Looking forward to discover amazing places and people in the biggest turkish city.
ISTANBUL.
ISTANBUL.
Syrian woman in Istanbul, Turkey.
She’s Turkish and I photographed her in June.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
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ISTANBUL.
41° 0′ 49″ N 28° 57′ 18″ E
I met Ayça two days ago, on the streets of Izmir, Turkey, where she was visiting her relatives. While walking along the sea, she told me a bit about the history of her family. Back in the 60’s, her grandfather was considered the first Turkish immigrant worker in Germany. In 1970 the German President invited him to the New Year’s Reception of the German Chancellor to honour him for that. Exactly 40 years later, Ayça’s father was also invited by the German President to the New Year’s Reception. He was honoured as a perfect example for integration and naturalisation. Although he came to Germany as a worker’s son without any German language skills, he studied medicine, worked hard and became a successful ophthalmological surgeon. Ayça feels both German and Turkish and she’s a wonderful example about how you can integrate in a new society while also celebrating your origins. Now she studies health economics in Germany and her goal is to work in an aid organisation and help people in need from around the world.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
38°53′N 77°01′W
U N I T E D S TAT E S OF AMERICA CAPITAL: WASHINGTON, D. C, POPULATION: 324 720 797 AREA: 9 833 517 KMº LANGUAGE: ENGLISH CALLING CODE: +1
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NEW YORK.
40° 43′ 0″ N 74° 0′ 0″ W
Evita Robinson is the founder of Nomadness Travel Tribe, a Facebook group that inspires thousands of African-American women to follow their dreams and travel the world. When not traveling abroad, Evie lives in New York. I met and photographed her in Harlem, a symbol of African-American culture. In high school, most of her classmates were white and from prosperous families. Evie remembers that they were always talking about their amazing experiences in different parts of the world. Although she was fascinated by the topic, she couldn’t be part of the conversation because she simply didn’t know much about it. Back then, a dream was born inside her: to travel and discover the world. After college, she realised that the moment to fulfill her dream had come. She took out a loan and moved to Paris to continue her studies. While in Europe, wanderlust became her way of living. Later she found a job as a teacher in Japan and discovered another fascinating culture. For most of her students in Japan, she was the first person of color they had ever seen. Evie remembers that the kids were fascinated by her curly hair and always wanted to touch it. 103
After losing a very close friend, Evie realised that life is short and it’s a one-way ticket. So more than ever she felt motivated to make the most of it. In 2011, she founded Nomadness Travel Tribe, a secret Facebook group, which in the beginning was just a small community for friends. The group expanded rapidly and Evie soon found herself in the centre of a great black travel movement. Today the group has more than 12,000 members and while it is open to travellers of all ethnicities, it is primarily African American, with 80 percent women. Members share stories, advice, photos and conversation about their personal experiences around the world. Evie also plans journeys for the group, and members sometimes fly across the world to vacation with people they never met outside of Facebook. Often they find themselves to be the only people of color that locals from some areas have ever met. But this doesn’t discourage them, on the contrary. It encourages them to represent their culture with pride and dignity, all over the world. Through her Tribe, this strong and ambitious woman is inspiring other women to discover the world and make it a more equal place.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
LOS ANGELES.
34° 3′ 14″ N 118° 14′ 42″ W
Young woman from Hawaii, in Los Angeles, USA
SAN FRANCISCO.
37° 46′ 46″ N 122° 25′ 9″ W
It was an incredible year. After 15 months of continuous traveling around the world, the end of october found me in New York where I captured the feminine beauty in Harlem, the heart of the AfricanAmerican community. In the last days I traveled with The Atlas of Beauty through villages from northern Romania being fascinated by people and their customs. Next year I dream to start a new expedition in other countries and I know that it will not be easy to find the funds to do it. But good things never come easy, so I wish you strength, patience, hope and health for 2015 on the way to your dreams. Happy New Year!
LOS ANGELES.
34° 3′ 14″ N 118° 14′ 42″ W
Los Angeles, USA 104
NEW YORK.
40° 43′ 0″ N 74° 0′ 0″ W
The Atlas of Beauty in Crown Heights, New York, a few months ago. Now the project needs your support to go on. Join the crowdfunding campaign and get Prints, E-Books, Photo Shoots and Postcards.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
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SAN FRANCISCO.
37° 46′ 46″ N 122° 25′ 9″ W
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But the beholder is always somebody else. That’s why, I think beauty is diversity. Till now I captured only a small part of it, but I hope I can continue The Atlas of Beauty, showing to the world the real treasure of our planet. Any share is a chance to grow and continue. I admit, I was lucky. Not every day, one of the most famous bridges in the world is covered in a magical fog. The fairy tale atmosphere went perfect with Sarah’s look. I photographed her over a month ago, in San Francisco.
NEW YORK.
40° 43′ 0″ N 74° 0′ 0″ W
She moved from Boston to New York to become a singer. 107
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
38°46′N 9°9′W
PORTUGAL CAPITAL: LISBON POPULATION: 10 341 330 AREA: 92 212 KM 2 LANGUAGE: PORTUGUESE CALLING CODE: +351
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OPORTO.
41° 9′ 0″ N 8° 36′ 40″ W
At 80 years old Adelaide has 8 children, 15 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She’s from Porto, Portugal, where I photographed her a few weeks ago. She sells fresh fish during the day and usually cooks what she didn’t sell, in the evening. When I met her in front of her house, she was preparing a fish barbecue for relatives and neighbours. Besides the story of her life, what impressed me most was her fabulous energy. Adelaide was moving continuously singing, dancing, joking and flipping the fish over. The most challenging part for me was to make her take a break for a few seconds, to photograph her. Adelaide and so many of her generation have an incredible vitality and strength. Even after hard years of sacrifices and struggles, their work capacity is unbelievable. Their devotion to help their beloved ones seems endless. It’s like they have a secret potion that gives them so much energy, but I think that potion is called love.
OPORTO.
41° 9′ 0″ N 8° 36′ 40″ W
Sofia lives in the suburbs of Porto, Portugal, with 4 happy friends. Some of them were rescued from the streets. She loves animals so much that she decided to become a veterinarian. 109
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
LISBON.
38° 43′ 0″ N 9° 8′ 0″ W
Carla has a fish stall in one of the markets of Lisbon, Portugal. Each day she wakes up at 5 in the morning, for her work. In the afternoon she takes care of her brother who has special needs. When she started to tell me about the love of her life, her eyes became wet and she couldn’t continue. There are millions of beautiful hard working women around the world. They are not famous and you will never see them on the media, because their stories and dreams are unknown. But each of them is a star in her own family or community.
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“THESE DAYS I’M TRAVELING
WITH THE ATLAS OF BEAUTY IN A STUNNING COUNTRY: PORTUGAL.” Mihaela Noroc
VIANA DO CASTELO. 41° 42′ 0″ N 8° 49′ 12″ W
Although Europe is one of the most modern places on earth, there are still communities here that keep their traditional celebrations. During these festivities, many people that normally dress modern, wear their traditional outfits, sometimes inherited from their ancestors. What is interesting is that besides older generations, many young people attend this festivals and keep in touch with their traditions. I visited such communities in Romania, Greece and a few days ago in Portugal. She is Carolina, from Viana do Castelo, a town from Northern Portugal. I took this photo a few days ago during the festivities of Our Lady of Agony, a celebration that dates from the 18th century.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
38°33′N 68°48′E
TA J I K I S TA N CAPITAL: DUSHANBE POPULATION: 8 610 000 AREA: 143 100 KM 2 LANGUAGE: TAJIK CALLING CODE: +992
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DUSHANBE.
38° 32′ 12″ N 68° 46′ 48″ E
Dushanbe, Tajikistan, a few months ago.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : T A J I K I S T A N
DUSHANBE.
38° 32′ 12″ N 68° 46′ 48″ E
A beautiful market seller. She’s ethnic Uzbek from Dushanbe, Tajikistan and I photographed her in July, 2015.
DUSHANBE.
38° 32′ 12″ N 68° 46′ 48″ E
Tajik woman wearing her wedding dress in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, a few weeks ago.
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GORNO BADAKHSHAN AUTONOMOUS REGION. 38° 0′ 0″ N 73° 0′ 0″ E
Pamiri people are one of the most interesting ethnic groups I ever photographed. Photo taken in Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Tajikistan.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : T A J I K I S T A N
DUSHANBE.
38° 32′ 12″ N 68° 46′ 48″ E
Two days ago I posted a photo of this beautiful young woman that I photographed in Tajikistan, in July. Yesterday they did a reportage about her on a Tajik televison. Munira is 19, and her work(she is planting flowers around the city) helps her take care of the 7 family members. After graduating from high school she dreamed to become a doctor but the financial problems changed her priorities. Even so, she is proud of her work and every SHE IS PROUD OF HER WORK AND day she wears her uniform with grace EVERY DAY SHE WEARS HER UNIFORM and elegance, as you can see. WITH GRACE AND ELEGANCE I really hope that her presence in The Atlas of Beauty will make a change in her life and people that can do something about it, will help Munira fulfil her dream. I will keep you updated.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
37°58′N 23°43′E
GREECE CAPITAL: ATHENS POPULATION: 10 955 000 AREA: 131 957 KM 2 LANGUAGE: GREEK CALLING CODE: +30
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IDOMENI.
41° 7′ 0″ N 22° 31′ 0″ E
This Kurdish woman left her home in Syria to save her children from a terrible war. I met her three months ago in the refugee camp from Idomeni, Greece, where she was living in a small tent together with her husband and their three kids. There were so many feelings inside of her. She seemed terrified by what she saw in Syria. Happy, because she saved her children from a war. Sad and worried, because she didn’t have any idea about where and when her horrible journey will end. There are millions of refugees from Syria and most of them lost almost everything. Besides some clothes, a tent and a few photos with beautiful memories, all they have left is hope.
IDOMENI.
41° 7′ 0″ N 22° 31′ 0″ E
Mother and daughters from Syria. Two weeks ago in Idomeni refugee camp, Greece.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : G R E E C E
ATHENS.
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
This elegant lady was walking alone on the streets of Athens, Greece, enjoying the nice weather. We couldn’t communicate too much because of the language barrier. So I gave her my business card and she gave me a beautiful smile.
ATHENS.
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
Christina is from Athens, Greece. I continue my journey in this wonderful country and I still cannot believe that I have the privilege to visit so many diverse places of the world with The Atlas of Beauty. I don’t know what I did to deserve all that, while so many people are not even allowed to cross a border, because of their nationality. Maybe the world gave me this great chance for a reason and I hope this project will convince more people that the diversity of our planet is our biggest treasure, not a premise for conflicts. 120
CORFU ISLAND.
39° 40′ 0″ N 19° 45′ 0″ E
Today is the first day of Easter for all Orthodox Christians. In some countries from South and Eastern Europe, this is the most important religious celebration. Corfu Island, Greece, is famous for its philharmonic bands that march every year on the streets of Corfu Town, just before Easter. I was there yesterday and took this photo.
DELPHI.
38° 29′ 0″ N 22° 30′ 0″ E
Eleni is from Delphi, Greece. On a normal day, while she works in the restaurant of her family or walks on the small alleys of her mountain town, she wears modern clothes. But once per year, she dresses like GREECE STILL PRESERVES MANY OF ITS this. During Easter, she and her ANCIENT TRADITIONS AND IT’S AMAZING TO beautiful community celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ as their SEE THAT IN A MODERN COUNTRY ancestors used to. Today Greece still preserves many of its ancient traditions and it’s amazing to see that in a modern country. I took this photo 10 weeks ago. Now I’m in Berlin with The Atlas of Beauty. 121
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : G R E E C E
ATHENS.
37° 58′ 0″ N 23° 43′ 0″ E
Athina is from Athens, Greece and she’s a professional runner. Born from an Ethiopian mother and a Greek father, she is in love with running since childhood. We met one month ago in Athens and what a pleasant time I had. While photographing her in the Panathenaic Stadium, the place that hosted the first modern olympic games in 1896, I was fascinated by her passion for running. She broke the national record of 3000m steeplechase and her biggest dream was to participate in the Olympic Games, this year. A hard injury made this impossible and she will have to wait for another 4 years. I rarely heard people talking with such enthusiasm about their passions. No suffering will stop Athina and she will keep running on the way to her dream.
IDOMENI.
41° 7′ 0″ N 22° 31′ 0″ E
I took this photo yesterday, in the refugee camp from Idomeni, Greece. Malak is Kurdish, from Syria, and left her home in Aleppo, a few months ago, after her city became the scene of atrocious crashes. There are tens of thousands of refugees in Greece, and none of them know when and where their horrible journey will end. More portraits and stories about this terrible crisis, soon. 122
IDOMENI.
41° 7′ 0″ N 22° 31′ 0″ E
While visiting Idomeni Refugee Camp from Greece, in May, I was deeply impressed by the beautiful relationship between volunteers and refugees. I saw with my own eyes how humans from two different cultures were proving that there’s absolutely no barrier between them, as long as tolerance and kindness are embraced by both sides. In Idomeni I met many amazing people who left their comfortable life to come and help other people who are in a desperate situation. Alice is from United Kingdom while the Kurdish little girl is from Syria. Moments like this give me hope that someday we can all live in a better world. Each one of us can contribute. 123
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : G R E E C E
MEGARA.
37° 59′ 43″ N 23° 20′ 29″ E
I was immediately impressed by Vivi’s joy and kindness when I met her, 3 months ago. Her biggest dream is to become an excellent elementary school teacher. For this young woman from Megara, Greece, the most amazing thing is to work with children. Almost every day she goes from her home to Athens, where she studies pedagogy. Although she has to wake up at 5am, because the trip takes almost 2 hours, she is enthusiast about each day of her life. She already gives some courses, as part of her studies, and it was a real joy for me to see her in a classroom, surrounded by kids. She also loves to work with children with disabilities. “They make you see the world completely different and realise how little things can make you happy.”
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MEGARA.
37° 59′ 43″ N 23° 20′ 29″ E
Kalliopi from Greece wears an amazing old costume, inherited from her grandmother. While all year long she wears modern clothes and works for her family business, every third day of Easter she goes back to another era. She dresses in this spectacular EVERY THIRD DAY OF outfit and dances along oth- EASTER SHE GOES BACK er women, in a small square of TO ANOTHER ERA Megara, her town, like their ancestors used to do many years ago. The dance, called Trata, is performed once per year by women from Megara and helped locals keep their traditions during the ottoman rule. Even today Greece preserves many of its ancient traditions and it’s really amazing to see that in a modern place. My journey in this fascinating country continues. 125
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
35°41′N 139°46′E
J A PA N CAPITAL: TOKYO POPULATION: 127 110 047 AREA: 377 972 28 KM 2 LANGUAGE: JAPANESE CALLING CODE: +81
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TOKYO.
35° 41′ 0″ N 139° 46′ 0″ E
If I’ll find fundings, in the next expedition I would like to go with The Atlas of Beauty in Egypt and India. Until then I show you a young woman with indian and egyptian origins that I met in Japan. Sayaka was born in Tokyo, she has a japanese name, but her parents come from different corners of the world.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
35°40′N 51°25′E
IRAN CAPITAL: TEHRAN POPULATION: 79 200 000 AREA: 1 648 195 KM 2 LANGUAGE: PERSIAN CALLING CODE: +98
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A COUNTRY WHERE EVERY WOMAN IS FORCED TO WEAR THE VEIL BY LAW. THAT MAKES THEM MORE MYSTERIOUS BUT BEAUTIFUL PERSANCE. Mihaela Noroc
SHIRAZ.
29° 37′ 0″ N 52° 32′ 0″ E
Shiraz, Iran in my first journey around the world. Soon I will start the second journey because The Atlas of Beauty needs more portraits before becoming a book.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
34°32′N 69°08′E
A F G H A N I S TA N CAPITAL: KABUL POPULATION: 32 564 342 AREA: 652 864 KM 2 LANGUAGE: PASHTO, DARI CALLING CODE: +93
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WAKHAN CORRIDOR. 37° 0′ 0″ N 73° 0′ 0″ E
Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan, a magical place with beautiful people.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : A F G H A N I S T A N
WAKHAN CORRIDOR. 37° 0′ 0″ N 73° 0′ 0″ E
She invited me inside her home and showed me her wedding outfit. Although they live in a rough and isolated environment, Wakhi people are amazingly welcoming and friendly. I photographed her in Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan, in July.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
30°2′N 31°13′E
EGYPT CAPITAL: CAIRO
POPULATION: 92 352 000 AREA: 1 010 407.87 KM 2 LANGUAGE: EGYPTIAN CALLING CODE: +20
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CAIRO.
30° 3’ 29” N 31° 13’ 44” E
She’s a computer engineer from Cairo, Egypt. I spent some intense weeks in the most populated Arab country and I had the chance to meet many warm-hearted women that made me understand their complex culture, better. From my experience, every country is very different than what we see in the media, or even in a travel tour. We have to fight with our own misconceptions and try to see beyond simple generalisations. Today I arrived in Ethiopia, excited to explore another fascinating culture.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
CAIRO.
0° 3’ 29” N 31° 13’ 44” E
She was going home to prepare stuffed cabbage rolls (known as mahshi kromb in Egypt). I took this photo in an Egyptian village, 3 days ago.
CAIRO.
0° 3’ 29” N 31° 13’ 44” E
I met her by chance on the streets of Cairo. I started to show her my photos and explain the project. She immediately smiled and told me that she knows The Atlas of Beauty very well. “Since I first saw the project, I really wanted to be part of it!” She studies Arts and I photographed her yesterday in Cairo, Egypt. 136
CAIRO.
0° 3’ 29” N 31° 13’ 44” E
With or without hijab, happy or sad, traditional or modern, all women are beautiful in their own way. If we were all inspired by their beauty, if we all respected them, if we understood their struggles, I think the world would be a much better place. I took this photo in Cairo, Egypt, 6 months ago.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
29°39′N 91°07′E
TIBET CAPITAL: LHASA POPULATION: 32 564 342 AREA: 3 180 000 KM 2
LANGUAGE: TIBETAN, MANDARIN CHINESE CALLING CODE: +891
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SICHUAN PROVINCE. 30°08′N 102°56′E
Although she was home in her isolated village, cleaning her house, this mother of two children was incredibly elegant and graceful. That’s exactly how I found her, after I knocked on her door. Tibetan women, with their red cheeks caused by the rough climate, remind me of ancient paintings. Through their powerful eyes you can feel their inner beauty. I took this photo in October 2015, in Sichuan Province, China.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : T I B E T
SICHUAN PROVINCE. 30°08′N 102°56′E
Tibetan women are famous for their gorgeous outfits, both traditional and stylish. I took this photo in Sichuan Province, China, in September.
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SICHUAN PROVINCE. 30°08′N 102°56′E
Jiarong woman in Sichuan Province, a fascinating area of China that hosts so many diverse ethnic groups.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
27°42′N 85°19′E
N E PA L CAPITAL: KATHMANDU POPULATION: 26 494 504 AREA: 147 181 KM 2 LANGUAGE: NEPALI CALLING CODE: +977
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KATHMANDU.
27° 42′ 0″ N 85° 20′ 0″ E
A few days ago in Kathmandu, Nepal. Amazing eyes.
KATHMANDU.
27° 42′ 0″ N 85° 20′ 0″ E
Mother and son on the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal, in October 2015.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : N E P A L
KATHMANDU.
27° 42′ 0″ N 85° 20′ 0″ E
Kathmandu, Nepal, a few weeks ago.
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KATHMANDU.
27° 42′ 0″ N 85° 20′ 0″ E
A buddhist nun that I photographed a few days ago in Kathmandu, Nepal. Please support this wonderful country, in a difficult moment. It’s been half a year from the tragic earthquake, but Nepal still needs you. You can make a donation to one of the many crowdfunding campaigns on the internet or, even better, you can visit this beautiful country. The tourism, a huge part of the Nepalese economy, decreased dramatically in the past months. Most of the foreigners are concerned about their safety, thinking about the earthquake. But IT’S BEEN HALF A YEAR the truth is that the country is safe FROM THE TRAGIC now and it’s welcoming you with EARTHQUAKE, BUT NEPAL amazing people and places.
STILL NEEDS YOU.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
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KATHMANDU.
27° 42′ 0″ N 85° 20′ 0″ E
She was walking on the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal together with her son. She didn’t speak english, but he did. “I want to photograph your mother.” I told him. “Why?” He asked me. “Because she is beautiful!” I replied. He proudly smiled and looked at his mother: “Yes, she is!”
KATHMANDU.
27° 42′ 0″ N 85° 20′ 0″ E
Dear friends, the page Mihaela Noroc Photography became Atlas of Beauty. A natural change that describes better the content of this page. I want to celebrate this important event by sharing with you a photo that I took a few days ago in Kathmandu, Nepal.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
23°8′N 82°23′W
CUBA CAPITAL: HAVANA POPULATION: 11 239 004 AREA: 109 884 KM 2 LANGUAGE: SPANISH CALLING CODE: +53
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HAVANA.
23° 7′ 0″ N 82° 23′ 0″ W
A few months ago in Havana, Cuba.
HAVANA.
23° 7′ 0″ N 82° 23′ 0″ W
The picturesque streets of Havana, Cuba, a few months ago.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : C U B A
“
FOR ME BEAUTY MEANS DIVERSITY, IT MEANS TO ASSUME YOUR GENETIC TREASURE AND ORIGINS, IT MEANS TO BE YOURSELF. ” Mihaela Noroc
HAVANA.
23° 7′ 0″ N 82° 23′ 0″ W
On the streets of Havana.
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HAVANA.
23° 7′ 0″ N 82° 23′ 0″ W
Neither height, nor weight are my interests when I photograph a young women for The Atlas of Beauty. But the natural and genuine look that tell a story about their geographical space. For me beauty means diversity, it means to assume your genetic treasure and origins, it means to be yourself. There were people who said that I focus on skinny women, but this is a conclusion drawn after they saw only a small part of my pictures. The project is in the beginning and in the future you will see more diversity. Also, many ask me why don’t I photograph women of all ages. I do not think that beauty has age, but
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I think it’s better for me to choose a segment that I can manage with the resources of time and money that I have. If I would photograph women of all ages for the project, I would need a few more lives to finish it or a lot of money. I choose the age group which I am part of, because this is the category that I better understand. Besides the project, I have many travel photos where you can see people of all ages. In the image is Anna, a young woman from Havana. In Cuba I was happy to discover the lack of inhibition. Regardless of weight, height, color or age, the cuban women are confident.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
19°45′N 96°6′E
M YA N M A R CAPITAL: NAYPYIDAW POPULATION: 51 286 253 AREA: 676 578 KM 2 LANGUAGE: BURMESE CALLING CODE: +95
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WANDERING.
27° 42′ 0″ N 85° 20′ 0″ E
8 days I arrived in Myanmar with BAW project. Wandering isolated villages in search of beauty, we discovered most people open, friendly and eager to meet me with my camera. For me it is the first country where a mere glance in a courtyard is immediately followed by an invitation to tour the house. Follows other days full of discoveries.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
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KATHMANDU.
27° 42′ 0″ N 85° 20′ 0″ E
In Myanmar I met the most serene and generous people. Maybe it comes from buddhism or maybe it’s the peace that everyone enjoys after long years of dictatorship and violent conflicts. I tried to bring this gentle atmosphere in The Atlas of Beauty, photographing Yu Kyi in one of the most important Buddhist temples in the world. For The Atlas of Beauty any share is a chance to grow and continue.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
18°58′30″N 72°49′33″E
INDIA CAPITAL: NEW DELHI POPULATION: 1 293 957 000 AREA: 3 287 263 KM 2 LANGUAGE: HINDI, ENGLISH CALLING CODE: +91
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VARANASI.
25° 19′ 0″ N 83° 0′ 0″ E
She was not going to a celebration, but just to the market. This kind of spectacular outfits are common things in India.
DELHI.
28° 37′ 0″ N 77° 14′ 0″ E
I photographed her yesterday in Delhi, India.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : I N D I A
PUNE.
18° 31′ 13″ N 73° 51′ 24″ E
Today is my last day in India! Next destination is Egypt! In the past 2 months I traveled in different parts of India, trying to capture the diversity of this incredible country. The photos that I took here, for The Atlas of Beauty, are a homage to all Indian women. Until now I only posted a small part of it. My biggest wish, in India, was to gather in the same photo series ordinary women from different environments and a big Bollywood star. I’m really happy I succeeded. I wanted to let Indian women know that they are all stars for me, regardless their colour or social status. I talked with many of them, listen to their struggles, their dreams and they will always be in my heart. They deserve all the respect in the world and I hope my photo series will make them see how special they are.
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MUMBAI.
18° 57′ 36″ N 72° 49′ 12″ E
I photographed this Parsi young woman in Mumbai, India, a few weeks ago. The Parsis are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to India more than 1000 years ago. The biggest Parsi communities live in Mumbai around beautiful Zoroastrian temples, following their ancient traditions. Despite their small number, the Parsis are famous for their great contributions to the development of India. The members of the Tata family are Parsis. Freddie Mercury was also Parsi.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
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PUSHKAR.
26° 30′ 0″ N 74° 33′ 0″ E
Rajasthan, a magical part of India where almost every woman wears colourful traditional outfits and a multitude of jewelries. I took this photo in Pushkar, in November.
PUSHKAR.
26° 30′ 0″ N 74° 33′ 0″ E
Policewoman in Pushkar, India.
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MUMBAI.
18° 57′ 36″ N 72° 49′ 12″ E
A deaf girl expressing the word “friendship” through Indian sign language. She was attending a school run by an NGO in Dharavi, one of the largest slums in the world, located in Mumbai, India. Without a voice to express yourself, without money to have a decent living, life could seem hopeless. But education always gives hope and this Indian girl was really enjoying her time in school! Now, through sign language and writing she really has a voice. I took this photo 6 months ago.
MUMBAI.
18° 57′ 36″ N 72° 49′ 12″ E
I took this photo in Mumbai, India, in December 2015. Now I’m in Stockholm, Sweden, where Mothers Day is celebrated today. While traveling around the planet in the past 3 years, I noticed a lot of discrimination towards women. Even in 2016, in many communities or families around the world, women are considered inferior and treated awful. And I’m just thinking, how ignorant can you be to treat another human being like that, considering that you were born by a woman and you exist because of her. 162
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : I N D I A
PUSHKAR.
26° 30′ 0″ N 74° 33′ 0″ E
Kalbelia woman at the Pushkar Camel Fair, India, November 2015. Until recently, the Kalbelias were known for catching snakes and trading venom. Their famous dance replicates the movements of a serpent.
MUMBAI.
18° 57′ 36″ N 72° 49′ 12″ E
These days I explore the streets of Mumbai, India.
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PUNE.
18° 31′ 13″ N 73° 51′ 24″ E
Urvashi Patole is empowering women to go on adventures and challenge stereotypes through The Bikerni, an all-women’s motorcycle association in India that she started on Facebook. Right after we met, Urvashi invited me on her motorbike to show me Pune, the Indian city where she lives. While riding, this courageous and strong woman inspires respect and admiration even in the traditional parts of the city, where most of the people are shocked to see a female rider on such a heavy motorbike. Urvashi believes that there is nothing in the world to stop you from following your passion and dreams. And her life is the best proof. She started motorcycling when she was only 14 years old and since then it became an essential part of her life. In 2012 she had a terrible accident but the helmet saved her life. She suffered a temporary memory loss. The doctors told her that she should never ride again because any medium head injury could cause a brain hemorrhage. But after 3 months, Urvashi was back on the road, because, she says, biking gives her life and makes her who she is. While riding her motorbike and in her life, Urvashi overcomes all challenges with courage and dignity. But she wants to support other women, too, on the way to their dreams. 165
The Bikerni group Urvashi founded on Facebook in 2011, claims to be India’s first and largest all-women motorcycle association. It started with only 11 members who wanted to use the group as a private platform to connect with fellow women bikers and potential bikers across India. In 2013, the group led the largest all-women motorcycle expedition from Delhi to Khardung La in Ladakh, passing the highest motorable road in the world, which earned them a spot in India’s record book. Now, the group has more than 800 Bikernis who share information about various city chapters, their rides and experiences, and upcoming events. The Bikerni is present in almost all major cities of India and each city chapter has a fixed administrator and rotating road captains. When Urvashi talks about her adventures, you really feel inspired and all your dreams seem closer. This amazing and powerful woman set records, built a strong community, fought with death, won competitions in a male-dominated field and saved many women from harassment during her travels. But she will not stop here. Now she dreams to extend The Bikerni in all Southern Asia through Facebook. And believe me, when Urvashi wants to achieve something, there is nothing in the world that can stop her.
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : I N D I A
MUMBAI.
18° 57′ 36″ N 72° 49′ 12″ E
Each morning this Banjara woman starts to work at 5am in one of the largest fish markets of Mumbai, India. She peels shrimps for a very small income together with other women and young girls. It’s a hard life but she doesn’t complain at all. A few years ago her life was even harder. That’s why she came all the way from Southern India to find a job like this and a better living for her children. Despite all the problems, most of the Indian women keep walking with courage and dignity, and the way they deal with their daily challenges, combining strength with grace, is remarkable.
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MUMBAI.
18° 57′ 36″ N 72° 49′ 12″ E
I met Neelam a few weeks ago, in Mumbai, India. Since her childhood she’s living in a tent, together with her family, next to a big market. Her father died, but her brave mother, who sells in the market, kept her in school with all the efforts. Even if her home is a sidewalk, I rarely saw such a warmth-hearted person, with such a positive energy and good education. She was not complaining about anything, she was not asking anything. Her smile, her dignity, her wisdom were a strong life lesson to me. HER SMILE, HER DIGNITY, HER I really felt privileged to meet such a beautiful person. And I also felt WISDOM WERE A STRONG LIFE privileged for every single night I spent in a proper home. LESSON TO ME. When I asked what is her biggest dream, she said she wants to study, to find a good job. That’s all. But I think, deep in her soul, she was dreaming about a proper home too. I sent her story to different newspapers from India, I talked with an NGO and some trustworthy people want to help her. I really hope this photo will make a change in her life. I’m sure you also know at least a person like Neelam and maybe she/he also need a little bit of help. And it’s not always about money, but sometimes about setting a long-lasting path for the future. 167
The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : I N D I A
PUSHKAR.
26° 30′ 0″ N 74° 33′ 0″ E
Sunita is one of the beautiful children that live in desert tent camps around Pushkar, India. Many tourists photograph her, because of her spectacular eyes, but a few are interested to help. She badly damaged her left hand when she was little. Her father died almost a year ago. The tent camp communities have no power or plumbing, and there are a lot serious health problems. In the last years Brett, from the US, helped this community, providing medical care and free education, using mostly his own savings. But now his savings are over and he needs support to continue this essential work. I met him in Pushkar and I saw with my own eyes how much he supports these children, and their desperate need of help. Their stories are heart-breaking. Some of the babies are in danger of starvation and they are in desperate need of help. Brett operates a school for 30 of these children, with well-qualified teachers and a nurse, and free food and medical care. He helped Sunita with hand surgery 18 months ago, and she is attending the school, coming by bus every 50km round-trip. She is excelling in Hindi, English, and Math, and wants to become a nurse or teacher. She just had her first ever birthday party at school, at age 13! Please click the link and find out more. Make a donation and give a chance for a better life, to these beautiful children. Believe me, even a small support would mean an enormous step forward for them. Let’s help them together!
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MUMBAI.
18° 57′ 36″ N 72° 49′ 12″ E
I took this photo in Mumbai, India, 2 months ago. On special occasions, the students attend their college lessons dressed in traditional outfits.
“
I WANTED TO LET INDIAN WOMEN KNOW THAT THEY ARE ALL STARS FOR ME, REGARDLESS THEIR COLOUR OR SOCIAL STATUS. Mihaela Noroc
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc Noroc
9°1′N 38°45′E
ETHIOPIA CAPITAL: ADDIS ABABA POPULATION: 99 465 819 AREA: 1 104 300 KM 2 LANGUAGE: AMHARIC CALLING CODE: +251
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OMO VALLEY.
4° 48′ 1.27″ N 35° 58′ 1.45″ E
In Omo Valley, Ethiopia you have the chance to explore tribes that live like thousands of years ago. Nudity is something normal and the veil only protects this young woman from the sun. She is part of Arbore Tribe. The 4G mobile network is already there. Soon they will all have smartphones.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : E T H I O P I A
ADDIS ABABA.
9° 1′ 48″ N 38° 44′ 24″ E
A graceful cleaning lady in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I think beauty goes beyond trends, ethnicity or social status. It’s something that comes from inside too, inspiring serenity and humanity. It’s next to us, every day, even in a time of conflicts and intolerance. We just have to see it.
HARAR.
9° 18′ 40″ N 42° 7′ 40″ E
I took this photo in Harar, Ethiopia, three weeks ago. Tomorrow I will release a special project for International Women’s Day and will broadcast live on this page to talk about it. Please join me here at 1:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 8 to learn more about this project and submit your questions, which I will answer live. 172
ADDIS ABABA.
9° 1′ 48″ N 38° 44′ 24″ E
She was cleaning a hotel room in a small town of Ethiopia…. Beauty is everywhere.
ADDIS ABABA.
ADDIS ABABA.
Since two days ago I’m in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Today, like every Sunday, many locals go to church. Christianity in Ethiopia dates to the 1st century AD.
This woman from Southern Ethiopia walks kilometers, each morning, just to take water from the river. And she is grateful for that. In other parts of the country the drought has dramatic consequences. There are places on our planet where water is pure gold and locals really struggle for it. And it’s incredible how much humanity and beauty can be found inside these hardworking people.
9° 1′ 48″ N 38° 44′ 24″ E
9° 1′ 48″ N 38° 44′ 24″ E
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AWASH.
8° 59′ 40″ N 40° 10′ 0″ E
I photographed this Afar young woman today in Awash, Ethiopia. Most of the Afar people are nomadic herders, living in independent small kingdoms, each ruled by its own Sultan.
ADDIS ABABA.
9° 1′ 48″ N 38° 44′ 24″ E
I took this photo in Mumbai, India, 2 months ago. On special occasions, the students attend their college lessons dressed in traditional outfits.
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ADDIS ABABA.
9° 1′ 48″ N 38° 44′ 24″ E
She’s Muslim, but her best friend, another young woman who owns this small terrace, is Christian. While traveling in Ethiopia, in February, I admired the way Christians and Muslims get along. I saw many beautiful friendships that go beyond religion. But in the same country, there are dozens of terrible ethnic conflicts, based on other reasons than religion. IS NOT THE RELIGION, THE COLOUR, OR While traveling around the world I realised that is not the reliTHE ETHNICITY THE REAL REASON FOR gion, the colour, or the ethnicity the real reason for conflicts and CONFLICTS AND INTOLERANCE. intolerance. But something else. The truth is that some people always take advantage of these conflicts. They conceive them by raising anger among us, just to feed their pockets or their ego. It was always like that, but today I think we have more opportunities to make a change. Our love can be stronger than their greed.
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4°35′N 74°4′W
COLOMBIA CAPITAL: BOGOTÁ POPULATION: 48 786 100 AREA: 1 141 748 KM 2 LANGUAGE: SPANISH CALLING CODE: +57
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MEDELLIN.
6° 13′ 55″ N 75° 34′ 5″ W
An amazing city with amazing faces: Medellin, Colombia. She is Karen from Medellin, a great city where I photographed so many beautiful faces for The Atlas of Beauty. Since yesterday I’m in United States where I will travel to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, before going back home, after 15 months around the world. For The Atlas of Beauty any share is a chance to grow and continue.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : C O L O M B I A
MEDELLIN.
6° 13′ 55″ N 75° 34′ 5″ W
It was great to travel through Colombia with my project. Although there were plenty of risky times, there was infinitely more amazing times. I didn’t find anywhere in the world so many beautiful faces and stories for The Atlas of Beauty, like here. I met Estefania on the streets of Medellin, a city sometimes dangerous, but always spectacular. Tomorrow I start my journey in Cuba. For The Atlas of Beauty any share is a chance to grow and continue. This is Estefania from Medellin, Colombia
CALI.
3° 26′ 24″ N 76° 31′ 11″ W
Colombian with Lebanese origins, photographed during my first journey around the world, in Cali, Colombia.
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CALI.
3° 26′ 24″ N 76° 31′ 11″ W
If Latin America had another official language, beside spanish, that would be salsa. And if salsa would have a capital, that would be Cali, from Colombia. Nowhere in the world I’ve seen so many people in love with dance, THIS IS WHY EVERY SHARE amateurs or professional. Hellen practices salsa from the age of IS A CHANCE TO KEEP GOING. 3 and has 8 hours of exercise daily. Her dream is to be the best dancer from Colombia. My dream is to continue The Atlas of Beauty and to find other faces and stories like hers, in the entire world. This is why every share is a chance to keep going.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : C O L O M B I A
MEDELLIN.
6° 13′ 55″ N 75° 34′ 5″ W
I take photos for The Atlas of Beauty in two ways. Sometimes I find an interesting face and organise a short photo shoot in a relevant place for the community and the person in front of the camera. Other times I simply stop them in the street, I tell them about my project and we make a photo or two on the spot. It’s the case of Maria (in the picture) that I met in Bogota. Starting tomorrow, I will do the same thing in northern Romania, traveling for a few days in picturesque communities that have preserved their winter traditions.
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00°9′S 78°21′W
ECUADOR CAPITAL: QUITO POPULATION: 16 144 000 AREA: 283 560 KM 2 LANGUAGE: SPANISH CALLING CODE: +593
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CUENCA.
2° 53′ 57″ S 79° 0′ 55″ W
Late in the evening, on the old streets of a small town in Ecuador, I saw Liz through the window of a colonial house, standing together with her family. I knocked on the door and tried to explain in my clumsy spanish that I want to photograph their daughter, for my project. They weren’t too upset and next day I photographed Liz in traditional ecuadorian clothes, carefully preserved in her family.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : E C U A D O R
OTAVALO.
0° 14′ 0″ N 78° 16′ 0″ W
She is colombian. But I met her in an ecuadorian market where she was cooking in her food stall. She couldn’t believe that someone wants to photograph her, for a project about beauty. Most of the women are not aware of their beauty. But the truth is that beauty is everywhere. 6 DAYS to go till the launch of the Crowd Funding Campaign. Together we continue The Atlas of Beauty.
OTAVALO.
0° 14′ 0″ N 78° 16′ 0″ W
In around 10 days I will start the second journey around the world. For more than one year I’ll travel around the globe trying to capture portraits of women from different cultures. Stay tuned for all the new stories and images. In the photo, a colombian young woman living in Ecuador. 184
AMAZONIA.
3° 9′ 36″ S 60° 1′ 48″ W
We live in a diverse world and there’s beauty everywhere. A few months ago I entered in the amazonian jungle of Ecuador to capture images for The Atlas of Beauty. In a Kichwa tribe, with hundreds of years old rules, I found a very expressive young woman. She dressed in her wedding dress (yes, this is her marriage outfit) that she used when she was 15 years old (yes, ALL THE JUNGLE CAN BE people from this tribe may get married at that age) and let me YOUR COURTYARD take her some photos in her courtyard. Actually, in Amazonia all the jungle can be your courtyard. A few days ago I was looking for painted faces in indigenous communities from the Amazon jungle of Ecuador. Yesterday I arrived in Quito, the capital of the country, a city situated next to the equator line, but with cold weather, being up in the Andes mountains. In a few days I’ll be in Colombia.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : E C U A D O R
CUENCA.
2° 53′ 57″ S 79° 0′ 55″ W
It doesn’t happen often to meet people that, after they left their native village with the idea of settling in the city, change their mind and want to return. That’s what Klara was going to do. After some time spent in Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador, the young woman decided that life at home, in her small village, is more beautiful. She told me of her hilltop house and the seven brothers who were waiting. I enjoyed the serenity and tranquility of her eyes and happy photographed her for The Atlas of Beauty.
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OTAVALO.
0° 14′ 0″ N 78° 16′ 0″ W
There is a place in Ecuador where most men have long hair to their waist and women wear traditional clothes with pleasure. Although it is a prosperous city with modern influences, in Otavalo the old habits haven’t died and the indigenous population has plenty of traditions to be proud with. In a world of globalisation, where more and more women tend to behave and dress the same, it’s nice to see that there is still diversity, that there are still young women who proudly assumes their origins and keep their traditions. I dream to discover in the future more places like this, with The Atlas of Beauty, and to show that diversity is a treasure that we mustn’t lose.
OTAVALO.
0° 14′ 0″ N 78° 16′ 0″ W
Colombian living in Ecuador, photographed in 2014.
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6°10.5′S 106°49.7′E
INDONESIA CAPITAL: JAKARTA POPULATION: 255 461 700 AREA: 1 904 569 KM 2 LANGUAGE: INDONESIAN CALLING CODE: +62
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JAVA SEA.
5° 16′ 0″ S 111° 43′ 52″ E
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12°2.6′S 77°1.7′W
PERU CAPITAL: LIMA
POPULATION: 31 151 643 AREA: 1 285 216 KM 2 LANGUAGE: SPANISH CALLING CODE: +51
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AREQUIPA.
16° 25′ 3.37″ S 71° 32′ 12.46″ W
Before spanish colonization, the incas had huge treasures of gold and precious stones. One of the descendants of Inca empire is Zafiro, a young woman with very suggestive name. I noticed her on a peruvian street and I proposed her to be part of the Atlas.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : P E R U
MANCORA.
4° 6′ 26″ S 81° 2′ 50″ W
At 21, the young peruvian already has a vast experience as a therapist. Her mother created an alternative therapy and together they dream to open clinics in other countries. For now they founded the first treatment space, in Mancora, Peru.
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COLCA VALLEY.
15° 35′ 50″ S 71° 52′ 45″ W
The peruvian women from the Andes Mountains walk proud in their traditional clothes. I would have stayed for hours to admire the fine details of Calla’s dress, but I had to photograph her before the night would spread out over the beautiful landscapes at nearly 4,000 meters.
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CAPITAL: BRASÍLIA POPULATION: 206 440 850 AREA: 8 515 767 KM 2 LANGUAGE: PORTUGUESE CALLING CODE: +55
15°47′S 47°52′W
BRAZIL
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RIO DE JANEIRO.
22° 54′ 10″ S 43° 12′ 28″ W
Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, some time ago. Soon I will get back on the road to photograph more faces of the world. Each contribution is really important because it will help me add a new day in the journey and new photos in the future book. Join the crowd funding campaign! Only now you can get Prints, Postcards, Photo Shoots, E-Books and become a member of The Atlas of Beauty family.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : B R A Z I L
WHEN I SAY MY AGE, MOST PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE ME
RIO DE JANEIRO.
22° 54′ 10″ S 43° 12′ 28″ W
“When I say my age, most people don’t believe me.” I met Heloise, 47, on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I continue my journey in this amazing country. My next destination is Salvador da Bahia.
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SÃO PAULO.
23° 32′ 52″ S 46° 38′ 9″ W
Tabatha Moraes is empowering women entrepreneurs in Brazil through an exceptional network group on Facebook that helps them to connect, form partnerships with one another and share information to professionally improve themselves. Tabatha lives in São Paulo, Brazil, where I met her during a dark rainy day. Figuratively, her life had many dark days. But this strong and amazing woman always managed to come out to the sun and build an extraordinary career. When she was 6 years old, Tabatha and her mother moved from Salvador da Bahia to São Paulo in search of a better life. Her mother was cleaning houses, struggling day by day to make a decent living for her three children. Tabatha considers her the greatest inspiration and a true heroine. Tabatha remembers that in school, kids made fun of her because she had a different accent, due to her birthplace. Once, just to humiliate her, a teacher asked Tabatha to read a text in front of the class, while all her classmates laughed. It was her mother who gave her strength and courage to get past this difficult moment and look into the mirror with pride and confidence. When she was 16 years old, Tabatha started working as a volunteer, advising women in a religious institution, like her mother did. Tabatha realised that she loves to work with women, encouraging them to be the protagonists in their lives. After a sunny period, the dark clouds again covered her path. In just one year, Tabatha lost her parents, her brother, and her unborn baby. Tabatha was facing a chain of tragedies, and her maternal support was not there anymore. But Tabatha remembered the strength of her mother, her determination and positivity, and more that ever, she wanted to make her proud. She realised that life is too short and she needs to do something that makes a difference.
After becoming a career coach and working with a group of women, Tabatha realised they could all start doing business and offer services amongst themselves. That was when she got the idea of starting a women’s network group on Facebook called Mulheres Que Decidem (Women Who Decide). For Tabatha, her mother was her greatest inspiration, a woman of decisions, and she chose the name of the group thinking about her. In only one month, the group already had 2,000 members, and it hasn’t stopped growing since. According to Tabatha, members started doing business together by becoming partners, suppliers and providing services to one another, as well as organizing workshops and conferences all over Brazil. Tabatha thinks that women don’t have to compete against each other. They have more power to do business if they work together. Often, we copy the male model of doing business, she says, but we can find our own way. Now the group has over 21,000 members, and the Facebook Page has more than 30,000 likes. It gave such visibility to women’s entrepreneurship that Tabatha created a publishing company to give voice to women authors. The Mulheres Que Decidem network has expanded to Colombia and Paraguay, in order to facilitate business among women in these countries and encourage them to export their products. In the future, Tabatha dreams to expand the group all over the world. The rain continued in São Paulo. But my talk with Tabatha brought a bright light in my soul and my mind. 197
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30° 0′ 0″ S, 25° 0′ 0″ E
SOUTH AFRICA CAPITAL: PRETORIA
POPULATION: 54 956 900 AREA: 1 221 037 KM 2 LANGUAGE: AFRIKAANS CALLING CODE: +27
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CAPE TOWN.
33° 55′ 31″ S 18° 25′ 26″ E
While visiting one of the slums of Cape Town, South Africa, I was fascinated by the gentleness of this lady in such a rough environment. Since almost 30 years ago, she is selling meat every day, in exactly the same place.
CAPE TOWN.
33° 55′ 31″ S 18° 25′ 26″ E
Janet lives in Cape Town, South Africa, where she loves to surf, listen to music and learn something new every day. She’s originally form Germany where I met her two months ago. These days I’m in Tel Aviv, Israel, with The Atlas of Beauty.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : S O U T H A F R I C A
CAPE TOWN.
33° 55′ 31″ S 18° 25′ 26″ E
Koleka is a performance poet from South Africa. She was born in a family of 8 siblings in Port Elizabeth and now lives in Cape Town where I met her 5 months ago. In a time when the success is mostly synonym with lots of money or huge popularity, it’s great to see that there are still so many wonderful people around the world that dedicate their life to art, although their path is full of struggles and challenges. Besides the time when she recites her poems on a stage, some of the happiest moments in Koleka’s life are her birthdays. She thinks we should appreciate each year of our lives because getting older is a privilege, not something to take for granted.
CAPE TOWN.
33° 55′ 31″ S 18° 25′ 26″ E
Jade is from Cape Town, South Africa, where I photographed her in March. Some time ago she took out a loan, bought a professional photo camera and started to learn photography. She dreams to travel and take photos all around the world. I had the same dream and it came true because of The Atlas of Beauty.
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BYRON BAY.
28° 38′ 35″ S 153° 36′ 54″ E
Emma is from Cape Town, South Africa, where I met her some time ago. “I was about 6 years old. I remember being in our after school care program because my parents both worked late. The dance teacher came in and asked who’d like to start dancing and I said ‘Me!’ And that’s how Emma fell in love with dancing. When she was 13 years old, her parents couldn’t afford to pay the dancing course anymore so she had to quit. In the following years she felt that something was missing in her life. She could not listen to music without thinking about dancing. So she decided to put all her efforts into her passion. She got admitted to the Cape Academy of Performing Arts and started to practice dance hours after hours, every day. She was also working, to pay for the courses. Although she was exhausted at the end of each day, she was feeling complete and happy. After a while Emma started to have some pain on her neck. But her passion to dance was much stronger than the pain, so she didn’t pay attention to it. A few weeks ago the pain became worse and she went to see a doctor. That was a sad THERE ARE SOMETIMES moment. The diagnosis made her reIMPASSABLE OBSTACLES ON THE alise that she cannot become a proWAY TO OUR DREAMS. fessional dancer. There are sometimes impassable obstacles on the way to our dreams. But at the end of every path, there’s the beginning of another one. We just have to keep hope alive, look around and see it. “I know I will still dance eventually, although just for fun!” says Emma. 201
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CAPITAL: SANTIAGO POPULATION: 18 006 407 AREA: 756 093 KM 2 LANGUAGE: SPANISH CALLING CODE: +56
33°26′S 70°40′W
CHILE
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EL PAICO.
33° 40′ 0.12” S 71°4’0.119” W
The Atlas of Beauty is an unique project in the world. I traveled around the globe for 15 months photographing hundreds of natural feminine faces. But I want to continue and to make a world premiere: to add at least one woman portrait from each country of the world. Any share is a chance to develop this page and to find support for continuing this unique project.
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The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc : C H I L E
VALPARAISO.
33° 3′ 0″ S 71° 37′ 0″ W
A painter, in her studio, in one of the most colourful cities in the world: Valparaiso, Chile.
VALPARAISO.
33° 3′ 0″ S 71° 37′ 0″ W
Valparaiso, Chile, 2014. She was a bartender in one of the most colorful cities in the world. 204
SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA. 22° 55′ 0″ S 68° 12′ 0″ W
I met Maria Jose last year in the driest place on earth: the Atacama Desert in Chile. She was traveling with a backpack, sleeping in a tent, making all kinds of ornaments of paper, which she was selling. In Latin America I met a lot of people who had this lifestyle for many years, not being part of the classical way of living in a society. Maria Jose is a student yet and enjoys the freedom of this independent journeys, only on vacations. She’s from Venezuela, but moved with her family since few years ago, in Chile.
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CAPITAL: CANBERRA POPULATION: 24 278 600 AREA: 7 692 024 KM 2 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH CALLING CODE: +61
35°18.48′S 149°7.47′E
AUSTRALIA 206
BYRON BAY.
28° 38′ 35″ S 153° 36′ 54″ E
She’s a wonderful artist from Australia and a beautiful mother. That’s why I wanted to post this photo in a special moment. Happy Women’s Day! 207
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CAPITAL: WELLINGTON POPULATION: 4 733 910 AREA: 268 021 KM 2 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH CALLING CODE: +64
41°17′S 174°27′E
NEW ZEALAND 208
WELLINGTON. 41°17′11″ S
174°46′32″ E
Maori from New Zealand.
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45 countries. 225 women. Different cultures. Beautiful world.
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MED I A
A ND CON TA C T S Today, The Atlas of Beauty is one of the most popular photo projects in the world. It has strong communities on Facebook and Instagram while its Tumblr blog was the third most viral in 2015. The project has grown exponentially since its inception in 2013. Mihaela’s photos have been featured in a wide variety of media including CNN, Forbes and Buzzfeed. Even the Queen of daytime TV, Oprah Winfrey, has done a short section about the project. The Guardian, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Forbes, BBC, Spiegel, Corriere della Sera are just a few other media outlets that featured the project. Mihaela sees herself as very normal woman. She calls herself lucky to have realised her dream and to get the appreciation and attention by mass media. But, she hopes to be a voice of millions of women who work hard for their dreams but maybe their activities don’t seem so spectacular from the outside. She wishes to capture their inner and outer beauty to show the world how special they are.
theatlasofbeauty.com norocmihaela@yahoo.com MihaelaNorocPhoto the.atlas.of.beauty mihaela_noroc
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After photographing women in more than 45 countries I can say that beauty is everywhere, and it’s not a matter of cosmetics, money, race or social status, but more about being yourself.
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