Tecno and visual artist Angélica Dass start the “100 Portraits of Becoming” initiative

Capturing Real Stories: Tecno’s “100 Portraits of Becoming” Initiative

For years, smartphone cameras have struggled with a major hurdle: accurately capturing the depth and nuance of diverse skin tones. Since 2023, Tecno has been working to change that narrative with its Universal Tone technology. What started as a technical fix—expanding to a massive 372 skin tone patches—has evolved into a larger, more human-centric mission to combat bias in digital imaging.

Now, Tecno is taking that mission a step further by partnering with acclaimed Brazilian visual artist Angélica Dass for a powerful project called “100 Portraits of Becoming.” This two-year, five-country initiative isn’t just about testing hardware; it’s about authentic representation.

A Look Through the Lens

The project officially kicked off on July 6 in Nairobi, Kenya, where local creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs stepped in front of the lens. Rather than relying on heavy editing or studio trickery, every portrait is captured using the Tecno Camon 50 Ultra, utilizing the phone’s native Universal Tone tech. The setup is refreshingly simple: natural light, personal clothing, and absolutely no filters.

The initiative aims to document 100 individuals across five countries. Beyond just the photos, the project serves as a living archive. Angélica Dass is sitting down with each participant to record their stories, documenting how they’ve navigated cultural and societal shifts to reach where they are today.

Join the Movement

If you’re interested in the project, you can follow its progress on the official website. For those wanting to participate, the team is actively signing up volunteers. After the Nairobi shoot ends on August 9, the initiative moves to Manila, Philippines (August 16–22), with future stops planned for Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Brazil.

Reflecting on the collaboration, Angélica Dass shared: “My portrait practice has always been less about documenting appearance and more about creating space for people to exist beyond assumptions. Being visible is not the same as being understood. True recognition begins when we are seen as we really are.”

Jack Guo, General Manager at Tecno, echoes this sentiment: “Through this project, we want to move beyond representation as technical accuracy alone and explore representation as recognition. By moving beyond bias, labels, and stereotypes, we hope to build a future where technology reflects people more authentically.”