The Daily

Tender Comrade is the latest exhibition at White Rabbit Gallery, presenting a powerful collection of contemporary Chinese art that explores queer identites, love, and resistance.

Curated by David Williams with assistance from Meng Yu Yan, this is the gallery’s first-ever queer-themed exhibition—a milestone for the gallery team and a significant showcase for the featured artists and the broader queer community.

The exhibition’s title, Tender Comrade, references the Chinese term Tóngzhì. Originally used by Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China, to call people to revolution. The term was later adopted by communists as a gender-neutral, classless form of address. Significantly, in 1989, at a Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Hong Kong, the word was used to address LGBTQIA+ audiences without relying on gendered language. Since then, Tóngzhì (meaning ‘comrade’) has been embraced by LGBTQIA+ communities across Chinese-speaking regions.

2SER Monday Daily host Eva spoke with Meng Yu Yan, Assistant Curator at White Rabbit Gallery, to learn more about the exhibiton…

The exhibition is on until 16 November 2025. Gallery Opening Hours: WEDNESDAY – SUNDAY 10 AM-5 PM.