Mihaela Noroc is a Romanian photographer and the creator of The Atlas of Beauty, a long-term project celebrating the diversity, strength and individuality of women around the world. For more than a decade, she has travelled with a backpack and a camera, photographing women in around 100 countries and listening to their stories.
A journey to Ethiopia in 2013 changed her perspective and inspired her to leave her job to devote herself to photography and travel. Her portraits challenge narrow definitions of beauty, focusing on the qualities, experiences and differences that make each person unique. Human connection is central to her approach: each photograph grows from an encounter and a relationship with the woman portrayed.
Her work has led to the books The Atlas of Beauty: Women of the World in 500 Portraits and The Power of Women: An Atlas of Beauty Book. It has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNN, the BBC and Oprah’s SuperSoul Sunday. Noroc sees The Atlas of Beauty as a lifelong undertaking, using portraits and personal stories to encourage understanding across cultures.
