Photographer Captures the Beauty of Mothers With Their Kids Around the World

Mother and child by Mihaela Noroc

Kathmandu, Nepal
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Since 2013, photographer Mihaela Noroc has been traveling internationally, documenting women for her project, The Atlas of Beauty. Along her travels to over 50 countries, she has been privileged enough to photograph mothers around the world. As Mother's Day approaches, the Romanian photographer's work is an interesting opportunity to see what motherhood looks like, from New York to Nepal, Tokyo to Milan.

Now expecting her first child, Noroc reflects back on the mothers she's met across the globe and what it was like to photograph them with their children. “There’s always an intimate chemistry between them. And there’s always so much beauty and kindness in these special moments,” Noroc tells My Modern Met. Her work demonstrates the bond of family and the beautiful intimacy that exists between mother and child, even in the expectant mothers photographed.

Warmth and familiarity fill each frame, with Noroc's work proving that cultural differences aside, maternal bonds around the world look the same. For the photographer, who recently spent time traveling in Asia as a pregnant woman, her own entry into motherhood motivates her even more to continue her work. “There are much more stories waiting to be discovered and now, as a mother, I feel even a stronger desire to bring my small contribution in making this world a better place for future generations.”

You can see more of Noroc's work, and read the stories behind each photograph, in her book The Atlas of Beauty.

As Mother's Day approaches, photographer Mihaela Noroc from The Atlas of Beauty shares her depictions of global motherhood.

Motherhood by Mihaela Noroc

Tehran, Iran

Motherhood by Mihaela Noroc

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Mothers around the world by Mihaela Noroc

New York, USA

Mother and child by Mihaela Noroc

San Antonio Aguas Calientes, Guatemala

Mother and child by Mihaela Noroc

Tokyo, Japan

Mothers around the world by Mihaela Noroc

Guangzhou, China

Mother and daughter by Mihaela Noroc

Milan, Italy

Mothers around the world by Mihaela Noroc

Refugee Camp, Greece

Mothers around the world by Mihaela Noroc

Chisinau, Moldova

Mother and daughter by Mihaela Noroc

Tel Aviv, Israel

Motherhood by Mihaela Noroc

Kolkata, India

Mother and daughter by Mihaela Noroc

Berlin, Germany

Motherhood by Mihaela Noroc

Osh, Kyrgyzstan

Mothers around the world by Mihaela Noroc

Kathmandu, Nepal

Mother and child by Mihaela Noroc

Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Expectant Mother by Mihaela Noroc

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Mihaela Noroc: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Book

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Mihaela Noroc.

Related Articles:

“Atlas of Beauty” Photographer Provides a Rare Look at Women in North Korea

Photographer Continues Quest to Document the Diversity of Beauty Around the World

Artist Celebrates Joys of Motherhood with Illustrations of Mothers and Daughters Every Day

Unedited Photo Series Celebrates the Beautiful Bodies of Motherhood

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Staff Editor and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book "Street Art Stories Roma" and most recently contributed to "Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini." You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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