In 2007, artist Jonathan Harris travelled to Bhutan to explore the Gross National Happiness paradigm. Balloons of Bhutan documents his effort to capture “a portrait of happiness in the last Himalayan kingdom” through breathtaking and inspiring photos and videos, catalogued on an interactive multimedia website.

Harris asked 117 people of various ages and backgrounds, five questions pertaining to happiness: what makes them happy, what is their happiest memory, what is their favourite joke, what is their level of happiness between 1 and 10, and, if they could make one wish, what would it be. He then inflated a number of balloons based on their level of happiness and wrote each person’s wish on the balloon of their favourite colour. On the final night of his journey, he strung up the inflated balloons at Dochula Pass, bobbing amidst Buddhist prayer flags.

Explore the whole stunning project at Balloons of Bhutan