Gate (Tiananmen)
- Artist: Xiyadie
- Date: 2020
- Medium: Dye and pigment on paper
- Dimensions: support: 1375 × 1364 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the “Gate (Tiananmen)” by Xiyadie, a large paper cut from xuanzhi, a paper used for Chinese calligraphy. The artist cuts a massive sheet into a gate scene and then hand‑paints it with bright food colourings—think the dyes you see on the fillings of bao buns in street stalls. The image shows two nude men embracing in front of a palace gate, its imperial vibe hinted by the dragon motifs. Xiyadie’s work is part of a 2020 series that uses the traditional craft of papercutting to explore queer intimacy, turning a domestic art form into a subtle act of resistance. The paper’s texture and the vivid colours create a striking, almost cartoonish contrast that draws the eye into this quiet moment of affection.
See it in person
Gate (Tiananmen) is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
