Eye of the beholder
All the images below are the results of a chain. Each participant invites the most beautiful person they know to sit for their photograph. The subject to the left of each row is the photographer of the people to their right. Each line a new chain. The idea invites participants to consider what beauty means and who in their world most embodies that definition. Some of their thoughts were captured in interviews following the photoshoot.
This project was an opportunity for me to spark conversation on the topic of beauty and its role in the world. And, as photographers, what techniques we can emphasise in the visual story around beauty. The photographers were a group of 17 Armenian teenagers studying at TUMO Centre of Creative Technology in Yerevan, Armenia.
The project, titled Eye of the Beholder ran for two weeks in the summer of 2025.
Left: VERGINE ADAMYAN
Photographed by Arevk Arakelian
“One day, a little blue-eyed girl ran up to me, hugged me, and said: ‘You’re so beautiful.’ In that moment, I felt the most beautiful I’ve ever been. For me, beauty is not found in standards, but in true emotion and unexpected moments. That’s why I chose my friend Martina next — her warmth, support, and belief in others bring real beauty into the world.”
Middle: MARTINA BADALYAN
Photographed by Vergine Adamyan (her inspirational friend)
“The most beautiful thing is the support and belief of close people in me — their love and warmth make life easier and motivate me to be better. Beauty is something we live through each other, in loyalty and encouragement. My next choice was Ani — because she brings the wild, chaotic beauty that shakes things up and makes people laugh too loud.”
Right: ANI MARANGULYAN
Photographed by Vergine Adamyan (the craziest friend of her inspirational friend)
“Beauty is something we create ourselves. Even the smallest things — a quiet walk alone, a loud laugh with friends — can be filled with beauty, if only we choose to see it. That’s why I was brought into this trail: to share the crazy, unpredictable beauty that reminds us not to take life too seriously.”
Left: ELYA SAFARYAN
Photographed by Stuart Acker Holt
“The most beautiful thing is when someone accepts me just the way I am. For me, beauty is the feeling of connection — when my words or actions touch someone’s heart and remind them they’re not alone. That’s why I chose my friend Lilit. She has walked with me through sunshine and storms, and beside her I feel free and truly myself.”
Middle: LILIT GEVORGYAN
Photographed by Elya Safaryan (her best friend)
“Some people’s mere existence is enough — just being there is the most beautiful gift. I find beauty in kindness, and in art that expresses our feelings openly. Inner beauty matters more than anything on the surface. I chose Syuzi next, because she makes me feel seen and understood, and she brings kindness into the world.”
Right: SYUZI SAHAKYAN
Photographed by Elya Safaryan (her best friend’s friend)
“I feel most alive by the sea or in nature — I’ve always found comfort there. I take photographs of landscapes, friends, and family, and that, to me, is beautiful. Beauty is subjective — everyone sees it differently. My next choice would be my little brother, who for me is the most beautiful person in the world.”
Left: AREVIK ARAKELIAN photographed by LILI HAMBARDZUMYAN
Middle: ROUBEN ARAKELIAN (photographer’s father) photographed by AREVIK ARAKELIAN
Right: KATRIN TARKHANYAN (father’s niece) photographed by AREVIK ARAKELIAN
Left: MANE GHAZARYAN photographyed by STUART ACKER HOLT
Middle: MANE’S MOTHER photographed by MANE GHAZARYAN
Right: MANE’S GRANDMOTHER photographed by MANE GHAZARYAN
Left: Suzanna Tamrazan Photographed by Stuart Acker Holt
Middle: Astghik Mkrtchyan (Grandmother) photographed by Suzanna Tamrazyan
Right: Haykanush Mkrtchyan (Grandmother’s niece) Photographed Suzanna Tamrazan
