When you move to a new country, the transition comes with challenges. Communicating your thoughts or finding connections can be especially difficult when you are learning how to speak a new language and are making yourself familiar with a different culture. 

This was something that new media artist Yeisen Chang felt deeply when she moved to Calgary from Cuba in 2019. Instead of making this feeling a barrier, she has utilized it as a point of connection which she beautifully expresses in her artwork. 

Yeisen is Calgary Public Library's 2025 Newcomer Artist in Residence and is sharing personal and collective narratives with the community this summer. Artists of all abilities will be able to attend programs or office hours with Yeisen. They will learn how to express themselves or share stories through the creation of their own artwork.  

Radical Transition from Cuba to Canada 

Yeisen was born and raised in Cuba and values how that upbringing has shaped her.  

"Cuban society is highly rooted in cultural practices. There's a lot of interesting aspects that compose the Cuban melody,” says Yeisen. 

Yeisen started with more traditional mediums like printmaking and drawing before honing into new media practices including photography and videography. This style allows Yeisen to utilize the growing technological realm, with stories being shared in a dynamic way. 

Yeisen decided to pursue her art career further, pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Calgary. It was an exciting time, however, Canada's language, identity, and cultural practices were completely new. While expressing herself in a second language was challenging, creating in a second language was even more of a struggle.  

"I think that's something that all immigrants have felt at some point. How you could be very clever, funny, and have emotional intelligence — those things that you can express very well in your own context. But when you move out of that, it could be even traumatizing in a way. The assimilation process (is) really complex,” says Yeisen about the newcomer experience. 

Yeisen's art expresses her frustration of feeling displaced in a new community, connecting with many newcomers arriving in Calgary.  

Full Circle Moment as the Library's Artist in Residence 

When Yeisen first walked through the doors of Central Library, she was instantly drawn to the beauty of the building and the opportunity she could feel within its walls. At a time when she was trying to feel at home in an unfamiliar city, the Library became one of her favourite spaces. 

"It was a space where I could just be and exist. And there were books, which I love. Most of my work is highly related to language, semiotics, and symbology," says Yeisen. 

She describes being the 2025 Newcomer Artist in Residency at the Library as a dream come true. Yeisen’s workshops will take her to different Library locations across the city this summer. From connecting with youth at video workshops, hosting showcases with adults, and even simply having conversations with other newcomers — Yeisen knows that this will be a memorable experience.  

When you think of art, you might first think of drawing or painting, but Yeisen looks forward to showing the community how they can create new media artwork. With access to technology, Yeisen will highlight how it can be used in a more positive, educational, and creative outcome. 

"Everyone has a phone today, even the kids. They spend time recording themselves for TikTok, so why not just show them that this technology they have in their hands can be used for a creative outcome too?" says Yeisen. 

Yeisen's residency will run until early September and will conclude with a final showcase. The Newcomer Artist-in-Residence position is supported by TD. 

Learn more about the Newcomer Artist in Residence.