The Atlas of Beauty, by Mihaela Noroc

Mihaela Noroc has travelled the world taking pictures of women.  500 of those picutres made it into her book The Atlas of Beauty: Women of the World in 500 Portraits.  She captures the faces of everyday women in their "native environment" whether on a city street or place of employment.  The wide variety and diversity of the women she captures is striking.  Many of her subjects fall into categories that are traditionally thought of as beautiful: young, slender, smooth skin, etc.  But the range of ages, skin color, hair style, and fashion is quite broad.  For every dancer, model, or media figure, there is a picutre of a refugee, an elderly woman, or a child.

Noroc's mission is to find and affirm the beauty in each woman.  She writes that some women did not want to have their pictures taken because they are not beautiful enough.  Noroc brings out their personality and features with her work, inevitably capturing their beautiful side.

While some of the women pictured look like me in terms of nationality, race or class, most did not.  She traversed Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America, photographing women on every continent.  Most of these women don't look like me, but picturing them here is a reminder that each of them is my neighbor, each is a part of my family, each is my sister.  I can always use a reminder that there is beauty in everyone, and that everyone is connected in the human family.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!