As AI increasingly shapes how people are perceived and represented, an urgent question arises: how can we ensure that technology reflects humanity in all of its complexities?
TECNO believes that the answer begins with a simple principle: technology should help the world see people more accurately. With that belief, TECNO and Brazilian visual artist Angélica Dass launch "100 Portraits of Becoming," a two-year initiative that begins today in Nairobi, Kenya and will span five countries.
The "100 Portraits of Becoming" initiative, co-founded with Angélica Dass, seeks to capture 100 authentic portraits of people around the world and document their individual journeys of becoming. These portraits from various backgrounds serve as a testament to the human tapestry and spark a global cultural conversation about authentic representation, identity, dignity, and human becoming in the age of AI.
This collaboration is based on a shared commitment to recognizing the true diversity of human life, combining TECNO's inclusive imaging innovation, which helps individuals be represented more fairly, with Dass' human-centered approach to portraiture.
“Every image shapes assumptions — why it matters, who matters, and how people are understood. That makes fair and accurate representation increasingly important in the AI era. But beyond representation lies a bigger question: who is the real person behind the image? Through this project, we want to move beyond representation as technical accuracy alone and explore representation as recognition — enabling technology not only to capture people faithfully, but to help people feel truly seen. By moving beyond bias, labels, and stereotypes, we hope to build a future where technology reflects people more authentically and allows the world to understand them more fully. Truthful representation is the foundation of genuine human understanding.” ~Jack Guo, General Manager at TECNO
“As a photographer, I realize that I can be a channel for others to communicate. The ‘100 Portraits of Becoming’ initiative with TECNO creates such a channel for people to speak for themselves and be seen on their own terms. That is why this collaboration with TECNO felt meaningful to me. My portrait practice has always been less about documenting appearance and more about creating space for people to exist beyond assumptions. What moved me about this collaboration is the shared vision and the possibility of bringing that intention into a medium used by millions every day. I am excited that this initiative is not about defining people — it is about allowing identity to remain open, layered, and human. Because being visible is not the same as being understood. True recognition begins when we are seen as we really are.” ~Angélica Dass
Angélica Dass: Seeing Humanity Beyond Skin Tones
The collaboration with Angélica Dass is a natural extension of TECNO's vision and Dass' investigation into how technology, culture, and personal stories intersect to produce truthful forms of human representation.
Angélica Dass, an award-winning Brazilian-Spanish visual artist best known for Humanae, a global portrait series that questions traditional notions of racial identity, recognized long before others that skin tones are more than just colors; they are reflections of distinct cultures and individual identities. Her work emphasizes that everyone deserves to be treated as an individual rather than a group.
Dass uses portraiture in her practice to highlight her subjects' individuality, viewing skin tone as an entry point into personal narratives rather than a label. Her impact extends far beyond traditional galleries; her 2016 TED Talk on skin and identity drew over two million viewers, and her work has been featured at leading platforms and institutions such as the World Economic Forum, UNESCO, AMNH, the Migration Museum in London, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, as well as in publications such as National Geographic, Vogue, and Foreign Affairs.
“One thing I appreciate about the ‘100 Portraits of Becoming’ initiative is our shared belief that portraiture is not simply about recording appearance visually. It is a way of questioning assumptions, challenging labels, and creating space for people to be seen and understood beyond stereotypes.”
From 100 Portraits to 100 Ways of Seeing Humanity in Five Countries
Dass will photograph 100 people in five countries as part of "100 Portraits of Becoming," beginning in Kenya. To ensure maximum authenticity, participants register on a dedicated global website and are photographed in natural light, without filters, and in their own attire.
In addition to stepping in front of the camera, each person will share their personal stories of growth and evolution, demonstrating how they overcame various cultural and societal shifts to become who they are today.
These portraits and narratives will be featured on the project's website, resulting in a "Living Archive." This digital repository will provide a space for people from all walks of life to be seen, heard, and understood as part of a larger human story. As AI redefines representation, the archive aims to sustain a cultural conversation about dignity and identity.
TECNO Universal Tone: Expanding What Technology Can See
"100 Portraits of Becoming" will be shot on the TECNO CAMON 50 Ultra, which is equipped with TECNO Universal Tone Technology, providing the technological foundation for the project's commitment to truthful representation.
Historically, mainstream AI models and imaging algorithms have frequently been trained on datasets that adhere to a narrow range of aesthetics, rendering them incapable of reflecting humanity's full diversity. As a result, people with non-fair skin tones are frequently misrepresented in mobile photography, with images being over-brightened, underexposed, or rendered in ways that do not accurately reflect their true appearance.
TECNO Universal Tone, which debuted in 2023, is the industry's most advanced AI-powered full-spectrum skin tone imaging technology. It combines TECNO's industry-leading multi-skin-tone color card, which currently includes 372 skin tones and is constantly expanding, with the industry's largest and most accurate skin tone database.
Universal Tone allows the portraits in this initiative to begin with fairness and authenticity by facilitating more accurate capture of the full spectrum of human skin tones. It helps to ensure that each subject is not corrected to a narrow standard, but rather represented with the dignity, nuance, and truthfulness that the project requires.
From Nairobi to the World: One Hundred Ways to See Humanity
"100 Portraits of Becoming" starts in Kenya for a reason. Kenya, home to one of the world's youngest populations and often referred to as the "Silicon Savannah," represents a future being shaped by the next generation — not somewhere else, but right here. From pioneering mobile financial inclusion to advancing local innovation across industries, Kenya has long challenged conventional wisdom about where progress begins. However, representation frequently lags behind reality, leading to assumptions. Places like Kenya are still too often framed in global media, and increasingly in AI-generated imagery, through inherited narratives rather than lived complexity.
In Kenya, this project is based on a different belief: people should be defined by the stories they tell themselves, not by the stories others tell them. The first portraits capture that spirit, showcasing entrepreneurs, farmers, dancers, artists, and everyday creators whose lives cannot be reduced to a single story. They're not keeping up with the future. They are helping to define it.
“People are always quick to tell you what you are and where you fit. I stopped waiting for that. The story that counts is the one I'm writing myself.” ~Alexander Odhiambo, a Kenyan participant in “100 Portraits of Becoming” and co-founder of Solutech Limited, an enterprise software company serving manufacturers and distributors across Africa
What starts in Nairobi does not end here. Over the next two years, "100 Portraits of Becoming" will travel to the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Brazil, creating a living archive of people, identities, and the moments that shape them. The first portraits and stories will go live online in early August, signaling the start of the campaign's full rollout.
The future of imaging isn't just about seeing more. It is about learning more. Through one technology, five countries, and one hundred portraits, "100 Portraits of Becoming" provides one hundred perspectives on humanity, one story at a time.
For any related media queries, please contact pr.tecno@tecno-mobile.com.
About TECNO
As a global innovative technology brand with operations in over 70 markets, TECNO has been committed to revolutionizing the digital experience in global emerging markets, relentlessly pushing for the perfect integration of contemporary, aesthetic design with the latest technologies and AI. TECNO offers a wide range of smartphones, smart wearables, laptops and tablets, smart gaming, HiOS operating systems and smart home products. Guided by its brand essence of “Stop At Nothing,” TECNO is committed to unlocking the newest technologies and AI-powered new experiences for forward-looking individuals, inspiring them to never stop pursuing their best selves and their best futures. For more information, please visit TECNO’s official site: www.tecno-mobile.com.
About “100 Portraits of Becoming” by TECNO and Angélica Dass
“100 Portraits of Becoming” is a global portrait project created by TECNO together with internationally recognized artist Angélica Dass. Over two years, it will produce one hundred portraits across five countries — Kenya, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Brazil — pairing Dass’s portrait methodology with TECNO’s Universal Tone imaging technology. Each portrait moves beyond a face to the person behind it — to the lives unfolding across some of the world’s most dynamic markets. One hundred portraits become one hundred ways of seeing humanity — and one growing archive of who we are, told by the people living it. To participate in the portrait project, please visit: https://www.tecno-mobile.com/100portraitsofbecoming/.
