Hong Kong – September 28, 2026 -- Smartphone maker TECNO and visual artist Angélica Dass have unveiled "100 Portraits of Becoming," a two-year photography project that will document 100 people across five countries, starting with 20 individuals from Kenya.
The project pairs camera technology with personal storytelling
The Kenya chapter, now live, features participants reflecting on identity, opportunity and self-definition. The initiative builds on TECNO's Universal Tone imaging work, which focuses on rendering diverse skin tones accurately, and extends that effort into a broader look at the individuals behind the images.
Three Kenyan participants illustrate different paths of "becoming"
Alex Mutua Muli co-founded Goshen Farm Exporters after watching local produce go to waste due to weak market access, choosing to stay in his community rather than migrate to a larger city. Alexander Odhiambo built a software company from a Nairobi apartment after a rocky career start, later expanding into African markets. Jelimo Cheboi co-founded GirlSkate Nairobi in 2022, turning a WhatsApp group into a skating community for women after finding little space for them in the sport.
Dass says trust, not technology, drives meaningful portraits
"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," Dass said.
TECNO frames the project as a response to AI-driven categorization
"Truthful representation is the foundation of genuine human understanding," said Jack Guo, General Manager at TECNO, noting that as AI increasingly sorts people into categories, accurate and fair representation becomes more important.
The Philippines chapter will explore solo parenthood next
Following Kenya, the project moves to the Philippines with a chapter titled "Beyond Many Labels," featuring 20 individuals connected to solo parenthood. The stories will look past labels like "single mother" or "breadwinner" to examine self-growth and everyday decision-making, including the Filipino concept of diskarte, or practical resourcefulness.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil complete the two-year rollout
After the Philippines, the project continues in Saudi Arabia later this year, then Türkiye and Brazil in the following year, bringing the total to 100 participants and 100 individual stories by the project's end.