For one woman, simply being part of the exhibit was life changing. After losing both her husband and son, she struggled to find purpose in her new life here. But when Juan showed her the portrait and told her it would hang in the museum, she broke down in tears. “She said, ‘Finally, God is giving me back something.’” Juan shared. “I felt so happy. These are the kinds of stories that move you really deep.”

Out of the 400 portraits, Juan was told to select 22 for the exhibit. Each of the photographs selected are displayed in lifesize form, allowing visitors to stand eye to eye with people from countries like Mexico, South Korea, Ukraine, Indonesia, India, and Colombia. For the other 378 Juan was determined to find a way to include them as well. He pitched the idea of having a digital screen in the exhibit that rotated all the images. He got what he wanted, ensuring no one was left out.

“I don’t want to just take a picture,” Juan says. “I want to make something that will be remembered forever. Something that becomes part of Central Florida’s story.”

The exhibit, which will be available until May 5th, has already been deeply emotional for both visitors and the portrait subjects themselves. At the opening, attendees recognized people they’d seen in the portraits and started asking them to share their stories. “It felt like the museum came alive,” Juan recalls. “Like that movie Night at the Museum. People were walking through the gallery and realizing the subjects were standing right beside them.”

One of the most impactful images is of “El Rey Momo,” a cultural guardian figure from Colombia’s Atlantic coast. “He’s like a protector of children,” Juan explains. “I had to represent my roots, too.”

For Juan, the opportunity to do such an art project has allowed him to reclaim the immigrant narrative.

“We need to remember that we don’t have to feel ashamed of being immigrants,” he says. “We need to feel proud because we bring so much to this society with language, culture and heart. Even if we speak with accents, we think deeply. We love deeply. And we have so much to give.”

He adds, “My art is a political statement without words. It builds bridges, not walls.”

That message is clear throughout the entire exhibit. And for Juan, Orlando was the right place to share it.

“Orlando is a city in development, and it’s growing culturally every day. It feels like home because of its diversity,” he says. “This is a city where you can make an impact that lasts.”

Though Juan has photographed presidents, popes, and public figures, including Pope Francis and Donald Trump, he believes the true changemakers are the people working in the shadows: the restaurant staff, the grocery clerks, the service workers whose contributions often go unseen.

“You don’t know how much love someone can give when they serve a plate of food with pride,” he says. “These people are changing society every day.”

Juan Tena’s work is a reminder that culture isn’t created by institutions. It’s built by people. And Portraits of FusionFest makes sure those people are seen, celebrated, and honored.