A $125 million project to modernize Terminal 8 of New York's John F Kennedy Airport has moved full speed ahead.

To keep the airport visually appealing to travelers, local artists in Queens including Filipino-American Luis Caraos, showed their works on temporary walls that cover the construction projects.

"The exhibit I’m doing here is mostly scenes from Queens," Caraos said. "I [didn't] have to go far away because Queens is blessed with a lot of views, like parks."

Out of more than 300 entries, Caraos was among the four chosen for the showcase that highlights artistic expressions of what it means to be a New Yorker.

"It means the world to me," said the FilAm artist. "I never expected that this would happen."

Shenna Vaughn of Vaughn Bentley Creative said it was important to support art and artists.

"By investing, you are now contributing to society, to the legacy of the arts community," she said.

The journey to pursue the arts was long for Caraos.

An architect, he came to the U.S. in 1987 and found work at New York University in Space Management.

But after hurting his back in 1983, he turned to oil painting while in recovery.

Caraos later switched careers and became a nurse. On his retirement in 2016, he pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a visual artist that focuses on oil painting.

"It’s a respite from my day stress," he said, "from my boredom, the stressful architectural work that I did in the past."

Caraos added: "Painting is a way to release all these tensions. It's a respite or a hiding place to vent all your emotions [and] dreams."

The "Travelling Dream" artist showcase installation in JFK Terminal 8 will be on display for guests and travelers until August.