TECNO has partnered with Brazilian visual artist Angélica Dass to launch “100 Portraits of Becoming,” a two-year global photography project that begins in Nairobi, Kenya.
The initiative will capture 100 portraits across five countries: Kenya, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil. It explores identity, dignity and representation at a time when AI and mobile photography are reshaping how people create and understand images.
A Portrait Project Starts in Nairobi
The project makes Nairobi its first stop. TECNO selected Kenya because of its young population, strong digital culture and position as an innovation hub in Africa.
The first group of participants includes entrepreneurs, farmers, dancers, artists and everyday creators. The team will photograph each person in natural light, in their own clothes and without filters. Participants will also share personal stories about growth, change and how they see themselves.
The project will publish the portraits and stories online as part of a “Living Archive,” documenting different views of identity from around the world.
Why TECNO Involved Angélica Dass
In this new project, Angélica Dass brings the same approach to a wider global audience, allowing people to present themselves in their own way instead of reducing them to a single story. Her work has appeared in major global platforms, including TED, UNESCO, the World Economic Forum and leading museums.
Dass feels portraiture is not only about appearance. It is giving people space to be seen beyond labels and assumptions.
In this new project, Angélica Dass brings the same approach to a wider global audience. She allows people to present themselves in their own way instead of being reduced to a single story.
TECNO Technology Meets Representation
TECNO will capture the portraits using the TECNO CAMON 50 Ultra, supported by TECNO Universal Tone Technology. The company says the technology improves how mobile photography captures different skin tones.
This matters because many imaging systems have historically struggled to show darker and non-fair skin tones accurately. Some photos can appear too bright, too dark or unnatural, depending on how the camera processes skin tone.
Through this project, TECNO and Angélica Dass are looking at a bigger question: how can technology help people feel more accurately represented?
The first Angélica Dass portraits from Nairobi are expected to go live online in early August. Over the next two years, the project will continue across four more countries, building a global archive of 100 people and 100 personal stories.
