Exhibit - La Voz de mi Gente: Luis Fernandez
La Voz de mi Gente is an exhibition of portraits and stories by Puerto Rican-born artist and GVSU graduate, Luis Fernandez. Having moved away at a young age, he returned to Puerto Rico in 2023-25 to photograph, interview, and share with others the Puerto Rican artists who captured the spirit of the island. Through this project, Fernandez also began to reconnect with his home and culture, embracing his roots and identity.
He writes: "For me, La Voz de mi Gente (The Voice of My People) was an opportunity to come back home and reconnect with Mi Gente (my people). It began as a journey to document the stories of Puerto Rican artists - dancers swaying to bomba, musicians strumming the cuatro, and artists who turn our struggles against oppressors into a bold declaration: 'no somos pendejos' (We are not fools). Yet above all, it became a search for an answer to a question central to my identity: What does it mean to be Puerto Rican? This search, born from years of feeling the island fade yet never fully letting go, found its voice through the artists I documented, their resilience mirroring my own journey back to my roots."
Luis Fernandez, Shadi, photograph, 2023, 2025.18.1.
Shadiel "Shadi" O. Reyes Mojica is a professional dancer and choreographer from Puerto Rico, whose portrait was taken at the Rainbow Pier in San Juan - a vibrant public space that has become a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride and resilience. The location reflects Shadi's deep connection to both his queer identity and the community spaces that have shaped his journey.
Luis Fernandez, Sabrina, photograph, 2023, 2025.18.2.
This portrait is of Sabrina Velez, a digital and multimedia artist from Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her portrait was intentionally captured at La Escuela de Artes Plásticas in Viejo San Juan because it represents her formal education in the arts and symbolizes her deep connection to Puerto Rican cultural heritage. For Sabrina, attending this school is about more than just gaining artistic skills; it is about absorbing wisdom from the great Puerto Rican artists who paved the way before her.
Luis Fernandez, Edan, photograph, 2023, 2025.18.3.
Edan Méndez is a multimedia artist from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, who uses they/them and he/him pronouns - something that, like their art, resists being confined to one box. Their portrait was taken in Paseo De Diego, Río Piedras - a stretch of street that pulses with murals, resistance, and everyday life. It's a space that reflects what matters most to Edan: art that lives with people, in the open, in community.
Luis Fernandez, Nick, photograph, 2023, 2025.18.4.
This portrait is of Nick Quijano, a painter and multimedia artist raised between New York City and Puerto Rico, whose portrait was taken in his artist studio in Viejo San Juan. Captured mid- process, with paintbrush in hand and surrounded by decades of work, the setting reflects more than routine— it places him inside the very world his paintings evoke. His studio walls carry the texture and color of the stories he tells: layered, grounded, and deeply connected to everyday Puerto Rican life.
Exhibition Resources
Watch an interview with Luis Fernandez about Edan Méndez.
Watch an interview with Luis Fernandez about Shadiel "Shadi" O. Reyes Mojica.
Watch and interview with Luis Fernandez about Sabrina Velez.
Watch and interview with Luis Fernandez about Nick Quijano.
Watch an interview with Luis Fernandez about La Voz.
This exhibit is no longer on display.
Lake Ontario Hall Wall Gallery, Allendale Campus
July 3 - December 12, 2025