In a time when AI subverts what a photograph really is, TECNO partners with photographer Angélica Dass for an exhibit that aims to reveal people’s individuality behind the image. 

TECNO and internationally acclaimed visual artist Angélica Dass recently unveiled the Gallery of “100 Portraits of Becoming,” a two-year global portrait project spanning Kenya, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil. Beginning with 20 portraits from Kenya and followed by the Philippines, the five-country project advances inclusive imaging toward a deeper human understanding of the people behind the image, exploring different ways of seeing people and the individual stories that shape their lives. 

Created over two years, this collaboration brings together Angélica Dass’s portrait methodology – and her experience with the Humanæ project –  and TECNO Universal Tone’s inclusivity. Together, they explore a new possibility for the AI era: not simply helping people appear more accurately — but helping people define themselves more truthfully.

The project will ultimately bring together 100 individuals and 100 distinct stories of identity, choice, change and growth. It builds on TECNO’s long-term work in inclusive imaging, where truthful representation begins with ensuring that people across different skin tones can be rendered naturally, fairly and accurately. 

 We wrote about TECNO before, here at PVC, to highlight the company’s technology that revolutionizes multi-skin tone imaging: TECNO Universal Tone. Although the discussion about the racial bias in camera technology, which has overlooked and excluded people of color, is far from forgotten, it appears to be left aside, as AI increasingly shapes how people are captured, recognized and represented… and mostly not in a good way.  

There are good uses of AI, though. “Portrait for Everyone”, a short film produced by BBC StoryWorks to show TECNO’s new Universal Tone technology that captures everyone’s brilliance and beauty in one picture, shows a good example. As Jack Guo, General Manager of TECNO, said in 2023: “From this thrilling film, we want to convey our mission behind Universal Tone, which is to redefine portrait photography, making it a truly inclusive and emotional experience. We aim to ensure that every individual, regardless of skin tone, feels seen and included through the lens of our technology.” 

 TECNO’s “100 Portraits of Becoming” takes that promise further and extends the conversation beyond inclusive representation of human diversity toward a better understanding of the people’s individuality behind the image. Each participant brings a personal perspective shaped by their own experiences, opening a different way of seeing humanity rather than standing in for a generation, a culture or a single definition of progress.

“100 Portraits of Becoming” grew from a shared belief between TECNO and Dass: both technology and portraiture should begin with respect for the person in front of the lens. Universal Tone was developed around a clear imaging challenge of inclusivity— how to represent people across diverse skin tones more naturally and accurately — but behind that technical work is a broader human value: differences should be represented faithfully rather than flattened into a single standard. That belief closely resonates with Dass’s long-standing practice of questioning labels and inviting viewers to see the individual beyond appearance. 

 How people are seen shapes how people are understood. As AI becomes increasingly capable of recognizing faces, generating images and organizing people into categories, the deeper challenge for imaging is to reflect the complexity, individuality and humanity of the person being seen. 

“100 Portraits of Becoming” expands that conversation beyond visual representation, creating space for individual stories and encounters. It is not simply an archive of photographs, but a growing record of human possibilities: people defining themselves beyond inherited labels, social expectations or predetermined categories. 

Reflecting on the Kenya chapter, Angélica Dass said, “Kenya showed me that meaningful portraits are never created by technology alone. They begin with trust, with listening, and with the generosity of the people who choose to stand in front of the camera. The camera is simply the tool that allows those encounters to be shared.” 

For TECNO, this marks the next step in a long-held belief about imaging: technology should be inclusive and help people be represented accurately and seen more truthfully. “Truthful representation is the foundation of genuine human understanding,” said Jack Guo, General Manager, TECNO. “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 or the labels put on him or her?” 

 The first chapter of “100 Portraits of Becoming” begins in Kenya, where participants explore what it means to define their own lives. Across the opening 20 stories, participants question ideas that often seem settled — what success looks like, where opportunity comes from, who gets to occupy space, what makes a career meaningful, and ultimately who has the right to define a life. 

The project is designed to evolve as it moves across countries. Each location brings its own social context, lived experiences and questions about identity, expectations and possibility. In the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil, TECNO and Dass will continue meeting people whose stories reveal different ways of becoming — how they navigate labels, make choices, create new paths and reshape what feels possible in their own lives and communities. 

 Rather than applying one definition across cultures, “100 Portraits of Becoming” explores what can be learned by placing distinct individual stories side by side. Through these encounters, TECNO and Dass aim to build a broader conversation about how people want to be seen, understood and remembered in an increasingly technology-shaped world. 

Looking ahead to the next chapter in the Philippines, Dass said, “Kenya was an extraordinary beginning to this journey. Every encounter reminded me that each place has its own stories, its own rhythms and its own beauty. I’m excited to arrive in the Philippines with the same curiosity, ready to listen, learn and discover the people who will shape the next chapter of ‘100 Portraits of Becoming’.” 

By the end of the two-year journey, “100 Portraits of Becoming” will form a global portrait of humanity precisely by refusing to define humanity in only one way: not one answer to what it means to be human, but one hundred ways to see it.