Traditional craft techniques can evolve from hobbies and passions into art forms. Take Chinese paper cutting, for instance. This art, inscribed in 2009 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, has a long history in China. It began in the 2nd century CE after paper was invented by Cai Lun, a court official of the Eastern Han dynasty. Before paper, people carved patterns on materials such as leaves, tree bark, gold and silver foil, silk, and hide.
During the Tang dynasty, paper cutting matured as an art form, with ideas and concepts expressed through intricate patterns. It advanced further during the Song dynasty, with artisans creating more complex works. The Ming and Qing dynasties saw the peak of paper-cutting development, spreading widely.
The art flourished in rural areas, where it was a popular leisure activity, especially among women. Various techniques are used in paper cutting, such as cutting with scissors or art knives and engraving with chisels. Motifs and styles differ by region: the northern style features exaggerated shapes and vivid patterns, while the southern style is known for exquisite carvings and intricate designs.
Common themes include Chinese opera stories, domestic animals and plants, mythical creatures from Chinese legends like qilins and jade rabbits, and symbols of good fortune and happiness.
Traditionally, paper cuttings served decorative purposes, adorning doors and windows to let light shine through the negative space of the cutout. Beyond aesthetics, the themes are often associated with festivities in Chinese culture (New Year, weddings and childbirth…) as cut-paper artwork is considered to symbolize luck and happiness. Besides, they also express moral principles, philosophies, and hopes, and they play an educational role in teaching children about traditional Chinese art and culture.
While retaining the traditional technique, the values, symbolism, and emotions in Xiyadie's paper cuttings are entirely subverted. Currently on display at the 60th International Art Exhibition in Venice, Xiyadie’s works depict scenes from his life rather than traditional Chinese motifs.
Born in Shaanxi Province in 1963, Xiyadie uses his art to express his personal pain and helplessness regarding his sexuality, offering him a way to relieve the pressures of conventional society.
Xiyadie, whose nickname means "Siberian Butterfly," learned this craft from his mother and has been developing his paper cuttings for over 20 years. Despite being a skilled artist, he prefers to be considered a farmer, as he never intended to make art but rather to document his life, desires for love and freedom, and the evolution of queer life in China since the '80s. His paper cuttings were originally made in secret at home as Xiyadie feared punishment if they were discovered, and were conceived as a private escape from his worries and sorrows.
Xiyadie's big break came after moving to Beijing in 2005 to work as a migrant laborer to support his struggling family. In Beijing, Xiyadie found a welcoming queer community and became part of the gay subculture. His first exhibition was held in 2010 at the local LGBT Center, eventually leading to international recognition and exhibitions outside China.
Xiyadie's paper cuttings are crafted on Xuan paper and delicately colored with pink, turquoise, and pale yellow using water-based dyes and Chinese pigments - materials also used to decorate festive buns in China.
His works subvert the traditional principles of this art as they feature intricate and densely composed queer scenes situated in cruising sites he discovered in Beijing, blending both paper cutting northern and southern styles.
In "Sewn" (1999), Xiyadie explores his struggle with accepting his sexuality while trapped in a heterosexual marriage. The piece features him with yellow trunks hanging from one leg as he sews his penis with a large needle and thread made of semen and blood. He is depicted in a small interior dominated by a traditional Chinese door and roof.
These elements - doors, walls, and caves - recurringly symbolize his concealed identity and the pressure of being trapped in the closet. In this piece Xiyadie gazes at a photo of his first boyfriend, a train attendant named Minghui. The sharp sword on which he sits signifies pain and helplessness, while a snake slithering inside him represents desire. The needle, perforating the roof, suggests his progress towards breaking free from traditional and familial pressures.
In "Don't Worry, Mom is Spinning Thread in the Next Room (A Love Scene When High School Student is at Home Writing Homework)," (2019) a figure performs oral sex on a man while a woman spins thread in another room, emphasizing the hidden nature of Xiyadie's desires.
"Wall" (2001) depicts a figure placing his erect penis against a brick wall, separated from another kneeling figure on the other side. Though they can't see or touch each other, both figures erupt into flowers that rise above them, becoming a home for perching birds, symbolizing connection and beauty despite physical barriers.
In these cuttings celebrating queer eroticism, Xiyadie also incorporates flora and fauna, reflecting his connection to the land as a farmer, but also using them in a symbolic way.
Nature in Xiyadie's works often embraces his subjects, with flowers blooming from the bodies of his protagonists or surrounding them. In his works, tigers symbolize instead the pressure of traditional society, while butterflies allude to his name and to his son, whom he has outlived.
The largest work on display at the Venice Biennale is "Kaiyang" (2021) which features multiple male figures in a Beijing bathhouse, taking showers, lounging naked, and engaging in sexual acts. This piece captures the communal and intimate aspects of queer life in Beijing.
There's much more to discover in Xiyadie’s body of work. Though not included in the Venice Biennale, he has also created pieces inspired by the inequalities and injustices in contemporary Chinese society and class struggles. These works have yet to receive the same attention as his queer-themed paper cuttings, but it’s likely we will hear more about Xiyadie in the future.
For now, you can view his works in the queer section of the Arsenale at the 60th International Art Exhibition (until 24th November), where his paper cuttings are displayed alongside the works of La Chola Poblete and Bárbara Sánchez Kane.
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