Afro-Brazilian photographer Helen Mozao focuses on the fringes of beauty, looking to expand and challenge the social constructs of ideals. Mozao’s style is rooted in street photography, but her dynamic portraits of Afro-Brazilians explore black beauty identities and contextualize them against the Brazilian landscape. Mozao focuses on the duality of her subjects: beautiful identities through their culture and their country.

The idea is to promote all types of Afro-Brazilian beauty, and her photo series Gorda Flor focuses on body positivity, empowerment, and beauty in all forms. Gorda Flor, which translates to “fat flower,” was shot in the famously beautiful neighborhood of Santo Antonio in Salvador Brazil.

The series is a totally fashionable look at street-level women, showcasing the personalities of the models, and most importantly their strong confidence and empowerment evoked through poses and deep gazes into the camera. Take a look at the series below.

Photos Courtesy of Helen Mozao’s Facebook