Humanity or algorithms? Photos to challenge our perceptions of self

Posted on 19 November, 2025

Brazilian-born, Canberra-based photographer Fernanda Pedroso has opened a new exhibition of dramatic works which question our connection to humanity versus technology.

Her solo debut, titled unBECOMING has been selected as part of the Head On Photo Festival 2025 Open Program which features over 70 photographic exhibitions across Australia, showcasing diverse, artist-run displays.

On show until 14 December at Grainger Gallery on Geelong Street in Fyshwick, Fernanda is now represented by Kacy and Richard Grainger who describe her as world-class.

Award-winning photographer Fernanda Pedroso

Fernanda worked in advertising until just a few years ago when she decided to throw herself headlong into her first love – photography.

Two years in the making and shot in Brazil in collaboration with makeup artist and designer Rafa Jones, the exhibition features seven striking models adorned with various accoutrements of technology. From copper wire masks to mohawks of connection points to tangled messes of cords, the images look both tribal and futuristic.

Fernanda said she conceived of the idea in 2023 to attempt to capture the transformation, overwhelm and isolation of our hyperconnected age.

unBECOMING arrives at a critical moment of technological acceleration when we are more connected than ever, yet there is a pervasive sense of disconnection. It prompts viewers to recognise the quiet cost of being always connected and to step back and examine what we might be losing and who is shaping our identity.

“We’re at a cusp right now,” says Fernanda. “Technology has integrated into our lives in ways we wouldn’t have imagined even a few decades ago, and we have to take back some of that control.”

The exhibition features haunting images of figures painted entirely black and adorned only with the byproducts of technology. The brass wire masks become beautiful sculptural headpieces which pop from the inky black photos.

The effect is the models appear to be losing themselves in the blackness, transforming into something between human and machine.

It’s a visual metaphor for a question Fernanda believes we all need to ask ourselves.

“I hope it invites people to pause and question: what am I becoming? Can I come back to  myself, my own truth?” she says.

Moving to Australia in 2020 to pursue a love story, Fernanda made a bold transition from a 20-year career in advertising to photography at the age of 40. This significant shift marked the beginning of an inspiring new chapter in her life.

Fernanda’s work is characterised by its conceptual depth and technical brilliance. She creates evocative images that often utilise studio lighting, special makeup, custom objects, and meticulously crafted scenarios.

Through her lens, Fernanda addresses societal issues, challenging prejudices, showcasing diversity, and highlighting the beauty of life. You will also find her thrust into the bustle of Australian political debate when she shoots the visiting politicians, dignitaries and celebrities who address the National Press Club in Barton each week.

Her unique eye has already earned her numerous accolades and international recognition. In 2024, Fernanda was honoured as Australia’s Top Emerging Photographer, winning the Overall Winner title, the Portrait category, and securing a runner-up position in the Art category.

She also achieved notable placements in the Asia Pacific Awards, MonoAwards, and the prestigious Monochrome Awards.

“For me, unBECOMING is about questioning whether we’re truly becoming who we want to be, or who society and algorithms want us to be. It’s about reclaiming our essence and shedding the personas we’ve unconsciously created, versions of ourselves shaped by social media, algorithms, and others’ opinions without us even realising it.”

Fernanda has two teenage stepkids, and watching them constantly on screens worries her. “When you’re so dependent on technology and its algorithms, unless you actively search for something different yourself, you only see what it wants you to see, not what’s actually happening.

“At the same time, we’re overexposed to everyone presenting perfect lives, wearing the same colours, and following the same formulas dictated and set by algorithms. Instead of connecting us, it’s actually isolated us more. unBECOMING is about recognising what technology is making us become, then pushing back. It’s about helping the next generation, and ourselves, understand that it’s okay to step back, question what we see, and choose who we really want to be.”