Train
- Artist: Xiyadie
- Date: 1985–6
- Medium: Dye and pigment on paper
- Dimensions: support: 1373 × 1340 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "Train" by Xiyadie. It’s a 2020 large‑scale papercut on white “xuanzhi” paper, the same stock used for Chinese calligraphy. After the cut, the artist hand‑painted the paper with bright food colours that are normally used to label the fillings of steaming bao buns on street stalls. The piece is part of a trio that also includes Gate (Tiananmen) and Fish on a Chopping Board, all of which subvert the delicate art of papercutting. In this work Xiyadie turns the medium into an autobiographical scene, portraying his first gay relationship with a train conductor. The figures are deliberately oversized to emphasise the intensity of the romance. The intricate, folded‑paper technique—often called a “matriarchs’ art” because it has traditionally been passed down by women—adds a layer of cultural history to the contemporary narrative. The work was acquired in 2021 with support from the Asia‑Pacific Acquisitions Committee and Sunpride Foundation.
See it in person
Train 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.
