MIAMI, United States. – Artists Yeisen Chang and Julio Hong, both Cubans living in Canada, have created a visual work influenced by a rich mix of Haitian, Chinese and Spanish roots.
“The beauty of South American culture is that we have assumed how beautiful we are about mixing and miscegenation,” said Yeisen Chang, known in the artistic world as YS Chang or simply Chang, in a an interview with the media RCI.
Her Asian ancestry—one of her great-grandparents, a Cantonese, married an African woman, her great-grandmother—has provided her with a rich palette of experiences and perspectives to draw on.
“In Cuba we have the Spanish migration, the almost zero residue of the native Tainos that the Spanish completely extinguished. Also slaves from Africa, especially from Nigeria and Ethiopia. A Franco-Haitian migration after the Haitian Revolution. And we have a migration from China that came as a labor force,” explains Chang, describing the rich history of miscegenation on the island.
Her artistic approach is driven by her desire to understand more about her own identity. “I’ve never had to define myself or who I am until I got here,” Chang confesses, noting how living in Canada has led to a greater awareness of her identity and heritage.
Julio Hong, choreographer and theater artist, shares a similar journey of self-exploration and personal growth. His work in Canada has focused on understanding how his choreography draws from his personal history and heritage.
“There is a certain satisfaction in seeing someone who is the same way you are. It is very satisfying for me to feel that I am not alone in this world,” Hong tells RCIreflecting on his work with the Troupe Artistique Phoenix de Montréal, a non-profit organization that strives to increase understanding of Chinese culture through art.
Hong hopes to promote sharing and acceptance of individual cultural heritage to create a stronger society. In his work, he seeks to break existing hierarchies in society and foster inclusive and respectful dialogue.
In 2023, he has several projects underway, including a collaboration with Cuban visual artist Michel Mirabal for the 2023 Venice Biennale, a participation in the Canadian television show the chanter masked and a conference at York University in Ontario on the epistemology of traditional Afro-Cuban dance.
