Mihaela Aroyo is a documentary photographer from Varna, Bulgaria.
In her work, she explores themes such as cultural identity, history, folklore, environment, and personal stories. Aroyo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Photography from New Bulgarian University and is currently enrolled in a Master’s program in History. She is a VII Academy Level 3 alumna. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, National Geographic, and Die Zeit.
In 2023, Aroyo was named a finalist for the Magnum Foundation’s Inge Morath Award. The same year, she received The Everyday Projects Grant for her project on Bessarabian Bulgarians. This project delves into the sense of identity among the Bulgarian diaspora residing in the historical region of Bessarabia within Moldova and Ukraine. It focuses on the community’s traditions and daily life, unveiling the multi-layered cultural, historical, and political context of the area. The series commenced in 2019 and is ongoing.
