Italian pencil artist Marco Mazzoni‘s work goes far beyond technical perfection. His representation of historical healing women is enigmatic and sublime. Often leaving the eyes blank or covered with an abundance of birds, butterflies and flowers, he gives the impression of a deeper inward focused sight, as well as obscuring the identity of the individual. Many female healers in the past – both medicine woman and midwives – were brutally persecuted by religion, some even burnt as witches… Mazzoni’s work captures their deep connection with nature and their innate power and femininity with delicacy and beautiful detail.

“Bread and Shutter” Studio is presenting us with a set of vivid photos that immediately catch our attention with their Eastern feel. They were probably attempting to make a joke with their “East Meets West” photo, were a girl’s burka is made of what looks like leather jacket with a steel zipper; however, in our humble opinion, it wasn’t a very good one. Nevertheless, other photos in this set are quite sensual and mystifying, creating the impression that these women came to us from never before seen lands and fairytales. (Photo and caption by “Bread and Shutter” Studio)

A woman dressed in a dirndl, a kind of traditional Bavarian clothing, jumps into Lake Schlier on July 30, 2006 in Schliersee, Germany. The event called "Dirndlfliegen" ("Dirndl Flying") was sponsored by a local fashion store and a big Austrian Dirndl manufacturer. While these kind of events had been held in Austria before, this was the first of its kind in Germany. 29 women and one man wearing a wig participated in the event that held a new Dirndl as the grand prize. (Photo by Andreas Leder/Getty Images)

A woman swings a child around a fire, where an effigy of the demon Ghantakarna was burnt to symbolize the destruction of evil, during the Ghantakarna festival at the ancient city of Bhaktapur, Nepal August 12, 2015. According to local folklore, the demon is believed to “steal” children and women from their homes and localities. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

A busy rush hour sees thousands of commuters climbing on board a train – as well as holding onto its sides and sitting on the roof before it speeds off. Men, women and children climb and are pulled up onto the roof of the train, which is around 12ft (3.6m) high, as they try to find themselves a space. With no seats available inside, many commuters decide to take the risk and choose a rooftop view for their journey out of Dhaka city, in Bangladesh. (Photo by Yousuf Tushar/Solent News & Photo Agency)

An albino woman adjusts her costume backstage as she and others wait for their fashion show during the Mr. & Miss Albinism East Africa contest in Nairobi, Kenya, 30 November 2018. Hudreds of abino men, women and children participated in the contest to raise awareness on discrimination and stigma against albinism in the region. (Photo by Dai Kurokawa/EPA/EFE)

A contestant prepares backstage before the final show of the Miss International Queen 2018 transgender beauty pageant in Pattaya, Thailand March 9, 2018. Twenty-seven international contestants are participating in the annual beauty contest for transgender women which aims to promote the tourism industry in the resort city of Pattaya and create a positive image of transgender people. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)