Working under the pseudonym “Siberian Butterfly,” Chinese artist Xiyadie transforms traditional Chinese papercutting into a medium of radical autobiography. His intricate compositions—in which flora, fauna, and human figures all intertwine—chronicle intimate narratives as well as the broader evolution of queer life in China since the 1980s. Following his 2023 breakthrough solo exhibition at The Drawing Center in New York, Xiyadie’s international presence expanded in 2024 through his participation in the 60th Venice Biennale’s main exhibition; a solo presentation at Hong Kong’s Blindspot Gallery (“Butterfly Dream”); and group exhibitions at Ames Yavuz, Singapore; and the Macalline Center of Art, Beijing. This momentum continues into this year with his three-meter-wide work Kaiyang (2021) (previously shown at the Venice Biennale) being displayed at Hong Kong’s nonprofit Para Site, while a number of his works will be included in “Queer Histories” at Museu de Arte de São Paulo, curated by Adriano Pedrosa and Julia Bryan-Wilson.

In 2024, you participated in the Venice Biennale as well as several group shows around the world. You also held solo exhibitions in Korea and Hong Kong. And before that, in 2023, you had a solo exhibition at New York’s The Drawing Center. What has this journey been like for you? How has your life changed?