Sexual Camouflage: Xiyadie

The Advocate has interviewed Chinese artist Xiyadie, and we think you're gonna want to check this work out.

The artist was discovered last year by Western collectors during a cultural mission between The Center Long Beach in Southern California and the Beijing LGBT Center. The world premiere exhibition of his work in a public gallery takes place April 29 through July 14 at alternative fine arts gallery Flazh!Alley Art Studio in San Pedro, Calif. The exhibit, titled Metamorphosis of a Butterfly: A Kaleidoscope Vision of Life by a Gay Chinese Artist, consists of more than 50 works celebrating same-sex love and life's struggles and transcending the harsh discrimination and social stigma facing the LGBT community in China today.

As Xiyadie explains about his craft: "Paper cutting is my own spiritual world. It is my world. In [that world] there are no worries and sorrows, only peace and free imagination. I never thought about becoming an artist. Some people saw my work and then called me one. I'm only a farmer, belonging to my yellow soil land.

See more images here