Diverse Asian portraits showcasing nationality differences

Model: nano-banana-pro

Editorial portrait gallery showcasing the diversity of Asian faces, eight distinct portraits arranged artistically showing Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, Indonesian, and Indian subjects, each face lit to reveal their unique bone structure, skin undertones, and distinctive features, professional fashion photography lighting, celebrating the rich diversity within Asia that AI often flattens into a single generic look, museum-quality portrait photography, shot on Phase One IQ4 150MP

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Technical Masterclass

Asian Portraits: Nationality Differences

A Technical Exploration

Explore how AI models handle the visual distinctions between Asian nationalities. This guide examines what models can capture accurately versus where they default to generic features—because "Asian" encompasses billions of people across vastly different cultures and physical characteristics.

InteractivePortrait PhotographyTechnical

Why "Asian" Is Too Broad for AI

A note before we begin: This guide explores physical characteristics that AI models may or may not capture accurately. These are generalizations—individuals within any nationality vary enormously. The goal isn't to stereotype but to understand AI's technical capabilities and limitations when generating specific ethnicities.

When you prompt an AI model with "Asian woman," you're asking it to represent over 4.7 billion people across 48 countries with vastly different physical characteristics. The result is typically a generic, averaged face that represents no one authentically—often defaulting to a narrow subset of East Asian features.

Professional use cases demand specificity: casting directors need distinct nationalities, stock photographers need authentic representation, character designers need visual accuracy. This guide demonstrates what's achievable with precise prompting—and where current models still fall short.

We're using Nano Banana Pro for this exploration. Judge the results yourself—where does the model succeed in capturing nationality-specific features, and where does it fall back on generic Asian defaults?

Foundation

Eight Nationalities, One Word

When AI hears 'Asian,' it produces an averaged face. Here's what specificity achieves—eight distinct nationalities, each with their own visual identity.

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Japanese woman in her 20s, cool pink undertones, soft rounded features, double eyelid, delicate chin, serene expression, natural light, shot at f/2.8

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Japanese

"Portrait of a Japanese woman in her 20s, cool pink undertone..."

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Korean woman in her 20s, high cheekbones, V-shaped jaw, fair neutral skin, confident modern expression, studio lighting, shot at f/2.8

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Korean

"Portrait of a Korean woman in her 20s, high cheekbones, V-sh..."

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Han Chinese woman in her 20s, warm yellow undertones, broader face, single eyelid, composed expression, natural window light, shot at f/2.8

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Chinese

"Portrait of a Han Chinese woman in her 20s, warm yellow unde..."

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Vietnamese woman in her 20s, warm tan golden skin, oval face, full lips, graceful expression, warm natural light, shot at f/2.8

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Vietnamese

"Portrait of a Vietnamese woman in her 20s, warm tan golden s..."

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Thai woman in her 20s, golden-brown skin, rounder face, prominent cheekbones, warm friendly expression, golden hour light, shot at f/2.8

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Thai

"Portrait of a Thai woman in her 20s, golden-brown skin, roun..."

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Filipina woman in her 20s, warm brown skin, Malay features with Spanish influence, full lips, confident warm expression, natural tropical light, shot at f/2.8

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Filipino

"Portrait of a Filipina woman in her 20s, warm brown skin, Ma..."

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Javanese woman in her 20s, warm medium-brown skin, delicate Malay features, serene elegant expression, soft diffused light, shot at f/2.8

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Indonesian

"Portrait of a Javanese woman in her 20s, warm medium-brown s..."

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Tamil woman in her 20s, deep bronze skin, large expressive eyes, fuller features, warm dignified expression, golden hour light, shot at f/2.8

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Indian

"Portrait of a Tamil woman in her 20s, deep bronze skin, larg..."

Compare these eight portraits. Each represents a different nationality with distinct features: Japanese porcelain skin with cool undertones versus Thai golden-brown warmth. Korean angular structure versus Indonesian soft Malay features. The differences are significant—yet a generic "Asian woman" prompt would collapse all this diversity into a single averaged face.

The key insight: Nationality-specific prompting isn't about stereotyping—it's about honoring the actual diversity that exists. Generic prompts erase this diversity; specific prompts preserve it.

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East Asia

Japanese vs Korean vs Chinese

The most commonly conflated nationalities. Same lighting, same prompt structure—different nationality specifications reveal distinct features.

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Japanese woman in her late 20s, porcelain skin with cool pink undertones characteristic of Japanese complexion, softer rounded facial features, high but gentle cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes with double eyelids common in Japan, small nose with rounded tip, delicate jaw tapering to a pointed chin, straight black hair with blue-black sheen, soft natural light from shoji screen creating diffused illumination, wearing navy linen blouse, composed serene expression, shot on Hasselblad X2D at f/2.8, Rinko Kawauchi aesthetic

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Japanese Woman

Japan

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Korean woman in her late 20s, fair skin with neutral to slightly warm undertones, distinctive high prominent cheekbones creating the characteristic Korean facial structure, monolid eyes or subtle double eyelid, high nose bridge, V-shaped jawline, smooth fair complexion, straight black hair styled elegantly, soft studio lighting with subtle fill, modern minimal styling, confident contemporary expression, shot on medium format at f/4, contemporary Seoul fashion photography

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Korean Woman

South Korea

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Han Chinese woman from Beijing in her late 20s, fair skin with warm yellow undertones typical of Northern Chinese, broader flatter facial structure, single eyelids with distinctive shape, wider face with less pronounced cheekbones than Korean features, small rounded nose, straight black hair, natural window light, silk cream blouse, composed dignified expression, shot on Hasselblad at f/3.5, contemporary Chinese portrait style

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Northern Chinese Woman

Northern China

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Cantonese woman from Guangzhou in her late 20s, warmer tan skin with golden-yellow undertones compared to Northern Chinese, more oval face shape, double eyelids more common in Southern populations, slightly higher nose bridge, softer features showing subtle Southeast Asian influence, natural warm lighting, casual cotton top, relaxed genuine expression, shot at f/2.8, Hong Kong lifestyle photography

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Southern Chinese Woman

Southern China

Japanese features often include softer, rounder contours, porcelain skin with cool pink undertones, and a delicate chin. Double eyelids are common.

Korean features are characterized by high prominent cheekbones, the famous V-shaped jawline, fair skin with neutral undertones, and a high nose bridge.

Chinese features vary significantly by region. Northern Chinese typically have fairer skin with yellow undertones and broader facial structures, while Southern Chinese often have warmer tan skin and softer features with Southeast Asian influence.

How well did the model capture these distinctions? The Japanese portrait should feel softer than the Korean; the Northern Chinese broader than the Japanese. These are subtle differences that require careful prompting.

Southeast Asia

Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, Indonesian

Often underrepresented in AI training data. These four nationalities have distinct Malay-Austronesian heritage with regional variations.

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Vietnamese woman in her mid-20s, warm tan skin with yellow-golden undertones, oval face shape with softer contours, distinctive Vietnamese eye shape often with single eyelid, wider nose bridge than Northeast Asian but narrower than other Southeast Asian, full natural lips, silky black hair, warm natural lighting suggesting Hanoi morning, ao dai collar visible, graceful composed expression, shot at f/2.8, documentary portrait style

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Vietnamese Woman

Vietnam

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Thai woman in her mid-20s, warm golden-brown skin with yellow undertones, rounder face with prominent cheekbones, distinctive Thai eye shape with gentle upward tilt, wider flatter nose characteristic of Thai features, full lips, warm skin with healthy glow, black hair with natural wave, golden hour lighting, silk blouse in jewel tone, warm friendly expression, shot at f/2.8, Bangkok editorial style

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Thai Woman

Thailand

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Filipina woman in her mid-20s, warm brown skin with golden-tan undertones reflecting Malay-Austronesian heritage, rounder face with softer features, distinctive Filipino eye shape often with natural crease, wider nose with rounded tip, full lips, the unique blend of Malay features with Spanish colonial influence visible in bone structure, wavy black-brown hair, natural tropical light, confident warm expression, shot at f/2.8, Manila fashion photography

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Filipino Woman

Philippines

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Javanese Indonesian woman in her mid-20s, warm medium-brown skin with golden undertones, oval face with delicate bone structure, Malay-Polynesian features with softer rounder eyes, flatter broader nose, full natural lips, the graceful refined features characteristic of Javanese heritage, black hair in traditional style, soft diffused lighting, batik fabric visible, serene elegant expression, shot at f/2.8, Indonesian portrait tradition

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Indonesian Woman

Indonesia

Southeast Asian nationalities share Malay-Austronesian heritage but show distinct regional characteristics. Vietnamese features bridge East and Southeast Asian characteristics—warmer than Chinese but with narrower features than Thai or Filipino.

Thai features often include rounder faces, prominent cheekbones, golden-brown skin, and a distinctive eye shape with gentle upward tilt.

Filipino features blend Malay heritage with Spanish colonial influence, creating unique combinations—rounder faces and fuller lips with occasionally more angular noses.

Indonesian features, particularly Javanese, often show delicate Malay-Polynesian characteristics with graceful refined bone structure.

Note: AI models often struggle with Southeast Asian nationalities due to training data imbalances. If you're getting generic East Asian features, try adding regional context: "warm Southeast Asian climate," "tropical light," or reference specific regional photography styles.

South Asia

North Indian vs South Indian vs Bengali

The Indian subcontinent contains more diversity than all of Europe. Regional distinctions are dramatic and important.

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Punjabi woman from Northern India in her 30s, fair to light brown skin with warm golden undertones common in North India, Indo-Aryan features with sharp defined nose, large expressive eyes, arched eyebrows, oval face with refined bone structure showing Persian-Central Asian heritage influence, thick dark hair, warm window light, elegant silk kurta, confident regal expression, shot on medium format at f/2.8, Raghu Rai documentary style

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Northern India

North Indian Woman

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Tamil woman from Chennai in her 30s, deep rich brown skin with warm bronze undertones characteristic of Dravidian heritage, broader nose with rounded nostrils, larger eyes with thick dark lashes, fuller lips, wider facial structure than North Indian, thick wavy black hair, warm golden hour light, traditional silk saree visible at shoulder, warm dignified expression, shot at f/2.8, Chennai portrait photography

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Southern India

South Indian Woman

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait of a Bengali woman from Kolkata in her 30s, medium brown skin with warm olive undertones, distinctive Bengali features blending North and East Indian characteristics, large expressive eyes often described as fish-shaped, refined nose, delicate bone structure, thick dark hair, soft diffused light through curtains, traditional cotton tant saree, thoughtful artistic expression, shot at f/2.8, Satyajit Ray film aesthetic

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West Bengal

Bengali Woman

North Indian features (Punjabi, Kashmiri) often show Indo-Aryan heritage with fair to light brown skin, sharp defined noses, and refined oval faces showing Persian-Central Asian influence.

South Indian features (Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam) reflect Dravidian heritage with deeper brown skin, broader noses, larger eyes, and fuller lips. Skin tones are significantly darker than North Indian.

Bengali features bridge North and East, with distinctive oval faces, the famous "fish-shaped" expressive eyes, and medium brown skin with warm olive undertones.

Tip: For Indian portraits, always specify region: Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati. "Indian woman" is nearly as broad as "Asian woman"—India alone has 22 official languages and corresponding ethnic diversity.

Overview

East vs Southeast vs South Asian

A high-level comparison of the three major Asian regions, each with dramatically different characteristics.

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait showcasing typical East Asian characteristics, Japanese woman with porcelain skin, almond eyes, refined small features, straight black hair, the delicate bone structure common in Northeast Asia, shot at f/2.8

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East Asian

→Fairer skin tones (pink to yellow undertones)
→Single or double eyelid variations
→Higher cheekbones, narrower faces
→Smaller, narrower noses
→Thinner lips generally
→Straight black hair

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait showcasing typical Southeast Asian characteristics, Thai woman with warm golden-brown skin, rounder eyes with gentle upward tilt, wider nose, full lips, the softer rounder features of Southeast Asian heritage, shot at f/2.8

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Southeast Asian

→Warmer, tan to golden-brown skin
→Rounder eye shapes often with natural lid crease
→Wider, flatter noses
→Fuller lips
→Rounder face shapes
→Wavy or straight black hair

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait showcasing typical South Asian characteristics, Tamil woman with deep bronze skin, large expressive eyes, broader nose, full lips, the distinctive Dravidian features of Southern India, shot at f/2.8

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South Asian

→Wide range from fair to deep brown skin
→Large expressive eyes with thick lashes
→Defined noses varying by region
→Fuller lips especially in South India
→Diverse facial structures by ethnicity
→Wavy to curly thick black hair

Technique

Nationality-Specific Prompting

The vocabulary that works for each nationality. Reference these descriptors to get authentic rather than generic results.

Model: nano-banana-pro

Portrait demonstrating Japanese-specific prompting, a woman with porcelain skin showing cool pink undertones, the softer rounded facial structure typical of Japanese features rather than angular Korean or broader Chinese, natural double eyelids, delicate tapering chin, soft diffused light, shot at f/2.8

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