Fish on a Chopping Board
- Artist: Xiyadie
- Date: c.2001
- Medium: Dye and pigment on paper
- Dimensions: support: 1365 × 1360 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is “Fish on a Chopping Board” by Xiyadie, a striking papercut that takes a white xuanzhi sheet – the same paper used in Chinese calligraphy – and slices it into an enormous, almost cinematic composition. The artist then adds bright food‑colour paint, the same hue used on steamed bao buns you’ll find at street stalls, to bring the scene to life. Inside the kitchen clutter, a fish‑shaped silhouette emerges – actually the form of two men embracing. It’s a bold metaphor for vulnerability and gay solidarity, using the term “tongzhi” meaning comrade. Xiyadie flips the traditional, intricate papercutting craft, usually reserved for auspicious symbols, into a quiet subversion that hides queer intimacy behind familiar folk motifs. The work is part of a series that reimagines papercutting as a “trojan horse,” revealing stories that mainstream society often silences. The scale and color make it feel almost cinematic, inviting viewers to look closely at each folded layer and the subtle narrative it holds.
See it in person
Fish on a Chopping Board 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.
