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XIYADIE (1963 -) is a self-taught traditional Chinese papercut artist who started creating works with homoerotic themes to speak of his narrative of transformation. The name Xiyadie which translates to Siberian Butterfly, is a reflection of his personal and artistic evolution. His singular artistic language originated in the traditional techniques of paper-cutting, a skill he learned from his mother at a very young age. Xiyadie is the first known Chinese paper-cut artist to publicly depart from the Chinese folk-art context and the only paper-cutting artist in mainland China to engage with queer themes.
His works were first exhibited at the Beijing LGBT Center. He was a participating artist in Spectrosynthesis: Asian LGBTQ Issues and Art Now (2017) at Taipei MOCA, marking the largest exhibition of its kind in Asia. His works have also been shown at 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).
His latest solo exhibition Queer Cult Utopias was presented at The Drawing Center, New York in 2023 and brought him to international attention. He will participate in the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia curated by Adriano Pedrosa.