Xiyadie is a self-taught traditional Chinese papercut artist who started creating works with homoerotic themes to tell his narrative of transformation. Xiyadie means Siberian Butterfly, a name he chose after his move to Beijing as a migrant worker in 2005, where he found an accepting community in the burgeoning gay subcultural scene. As he relates, the Siberian Butterfly is a northern creature. Surviving in the harshest conditions, it maintains its vanity and pursuit of freedom in an environment that does not lend political agency or representation to queer-identifying people.
Since his debut solo exhibition at the Beijing LGBT Center (2010), Xiyadie’s works have been shown extensively. He was a participating artist in Spectrosynthesis: Asian LGBTQ Issues and Art Now at BACC, Bangkok (2019) and MOCA, Taipei (2017) marking the largest survey exhibitions of its kind in Asia. His works have also been shown at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin (2022); Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw (2020); Long March Space, Beijing (2019); Gwangju Biennale (2018); Nome Gallery, Berlin (2018); Para Site, Hong Kong (2017); Galerie Verbeeck – Van Dyck, Antwerp (2015); Topenmuseum, Amsterdam (2015); Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg (2013); Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm (2012); and Flazh!Alley Art Studio, San Pedro, USA (2012).
Xiyadie currently lives and works in Shaanxi, China.
