Xiyadie’s hand-dyed paper-cuts rework an ancient Chinese form to depict scenes of gay eroticism, in which human forms are fused with nature and animal life. Xiyadie means Siberian Butterfly, a creature which survives in the harshest conditions to pursue freedom against the odds for queer-identifying people. Traditionally, paper-cuts are hung on the panes of windows and doors as symbols of luck and happiness, to ward off evil spirits and filter dancing shadows into the home.
