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.
Butterfly 蝶, 2006
Xiyadie