TECNO and Angélica Dass Unveil “100 Portraits of Becoming” Global Portrait Project
TECNO and Angélica Dass have unveiled “100 Portraits of Becoming,” a two-year project across five countries. It begins with 20 Kenyan portraits and will total 100 stories.
The project 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. The Kenya chapter is now live. As AI increasingly shapes how people are captured, recognized and represented, “100 Portraits of Becoming” extends the conversation beyond inclusive representation of human diversity toward a better understanding of the individuality behind the image.
TECNO and Dass describe the project as growing from a shared belief that both technology and portraiture should begin with respect for the person in front of the lens. Universal Tone was developed around an 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 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 project frames a deeper challenge for imaging: reflecting the complexity, individuality and humanity of the person being seen. “100 Portraits of Becoming” is described as more than an archive of photographs, but as a growing record of human possibilities in which people define themselves beyond inherited labels, social expectations or predetermined categories.
Reflecting on the Kenya chapter, 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.”
Jack Guo, General Manager at TECNO, said, “Truthful representation is the foundation of genuine human understanding. 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 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 who has the right to define a life.
Alex Mutua Muli’s story begins with going back home and creating opportunities for people to stay. Growing up, he watched fruit from his community go to waste because farmers lacked reliable markets. Many young people choose to leave for bigger cities. Instead of leaving, he stayed and co-founded Goshen Farm Exporters, helping connect the local community to larger markets and turning staying into a more viable future.
Alexander Odhiambo approached opportunity from a different place. After a difficult start to his career, he and his friends built a software company from a small Nairobi apartment. What began as creating an opportunity for themselves gradually grew into a business serving African markets and opening new paths for local talent.
Jelimo Cheboi’s story is about creating space. When she took up skateboarding in 2022, she quickly found herself in a scene with little room for women. She went on to co-found GirlSkate Nairobi, growing a WhatsApp group into a community where girls and women could skate, connect and express themselves more freely.
The first Kenya chapter is now live, with the project set to expand across the other four countries and eventually to 100 portraits and stories.
Editor's Summary TECNO and Angélica Dass launched “100 Portraits of Becoming,” a two-year global portrait project that begins with 20 Kenyan stories and is intended to reach 100 portraits. The project ties TECNO’s inclusive-imaging work, including Universal Tone, to questions about how AI captures, recognizes and represents people. TECNO and Dass present it as a record of individual identity beyond labels and categories.