Japanese Artist Finds Peace in Cutting Leaves
2024-12-21
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1A Japanese artist who creates detailed designs on fallen leaves says the process gives the leaves new life and also helps keep him healthy.
2The artist goes by the name Lito.
3He did not want to share his full name for personal reasons.
4Lito likes to cut, or carve, many different leaf designs.
5Examples of his work include a frog holding an umbrella, animals jumping happily, Japan's famous Mount Fuji and ocean waves.
6Lito began making his leaf art in 2020.
7Now, he has many fans around the world who discovered his designs on social media.
8He recently told reporters from The Associated Press that his work also gives him peaceful feelings to help deal with a health issue.
9The condition Lito struggles with is called attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
10People with ADHD can experience difficulties such as mental focus, directing attention and organizing and controlling urges.
11The 38-year-old Lito said that in addition to helping him deal with his own issues, he hopes his art can give other people enjoyment as well.
12Lito likes working at night.
13In a demonstration of his process, he showed that he first treats several leaves with a chemical to keep them from drying out.
14Then, he chooses the one he wants to work on and places it on a cutting surface.
15He begins by making a design on the leaf with a pen.
16He then uses a special design knife to cut the leaf.
17As he works slowly and carefully, one leaf begins to take the shape of a frog carrying an umbrella.
18Some of Lito's more complex creations on a single leaf can take more than eight hours to complete.
19He said he likes to finish a leaf in one sitting.
20His leaf-cutting works include titles such as Scrolls of Frolicking Animals, Leaf Aquarium, and Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji: The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
21He often uses animals as his subject and each piece includes some of hisown personal elements.
22Since his childhood, Lito says he has had high levels of concentration and patience.
23But no matter how hard he tried, he felt he could not meet expectations of behavior at school and work.
24He also struggled to understand others' feelings and to avoid conflict.
25After years of difficulty, he went to a hospital at age 30 and was told he has ADHD, a diagnosis he felt explained why he has always done things differently.
26Lito said he saw no reason to force himself to do things the same way as other people.
27So, he decided to change his way of living.
28In early 2020, Lito learned about the art of leaf cutting.
29He saw it as the perfect use of his patience and concentration.
30Word of his skill has spread far across social media, and he has published books on his leaf-cutting work.
31And almost every month, he holds a showing of his art in different places in Japan.
32"If I can make people happy by doing what I am doing, I want to do more. That's my driving force for what's next," Lito said.
33I'm Jill Robbins.
1A Japanese artist who creates detailed designs on fallen leaves says the process gives the leaves new life and also helps keep him healthy. 2The artist goes by the name Lito. He did not want to share his full name for personal reasons. Lito likes to cut, or carve, many different leaf designs. Examples of his work include a frog holding an umbrella, animals jumping happily, Japan's famous Mount Fuji and ocean waves. 3Lito began making his leaf art in 2020. Now, he has many fans around the world who discovered his designs on social media. 4He recently told reporters from The Associated Press that his work also gives him peaceful feelings to help deal with a health issue. The condition Lito struggles with is called attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. People with ADHD can experience difficulties such as mental focus, directing attention and organizing and controlling urges. 5The 38-year-old Lito said that in addition to helping him deal with his own issues, he hopes his art can give other people enjoyment as well. 6Lito likes working at night. In a demonstration of his process, he showed that he first treats several leaves with a chemical to keep them from drying out. Then, he chooses the one he wants to work on and places it on a cutting surface. 7He begins by making a design on the leaf with a pen. He then uses a special design knife to cut the leaf. As he works slowly and carefully, one leaf begins to take the shape of a frog carrying an umbrella. 8Some of Lito's more complex creations on a single leaf can take more than eight hours to complete. He said he likes to finish a leaf in one sitting. His leaf-cutting works include titles such as Scrolls of Frolicking Animals, Leaf Aquarium, and Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji: The Great Wave off Kanagawa. He often uses animals as his subject and each piece includes some of hisown personal elements. 9Since his childhood, Lito says he has had high levels of concentration and patience. But no matter how hard he tried, he felt he could not meet expectations of behavior at school and work. He also struggled to understand others' feelings and to avoid conflict. 10After years of difficulty, he went to a hospital at age 30 and was told he has ADHD, a diagnosis he felt explained why he has always done things differently. 11Lito said he saw no reason to force himself to do things the same way as other people. So, he decided to change his way of living. 12In early 2020, Lito learned about the art of leaf cutting. He saw it as the perfect use of his patience and concentration. 13Word of his skill has spread far across social media, and he has published books on his leaf-cutting work. And almost every month, he holds a showing of his art in different places in Japan. 14"If I can make people happy by doing what I am doing, I want to do more. That's my driving force for what's next," Lito said. 15I'm Jill Robbins. 16Mayuko Ono, Shuji Kajiyama and Mari Yamaguchi reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. 17______________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19umbrella - n. a device used to protect oneself from rain or sunlight 20focus - n. a state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding 21concentration - n. the ability to give your attention or thought to a single object or activity 22patient - adj. bearing pain or difficulty calmly or without complaint 23diagnosis - n. a medical finding of disease 24What do you think of this story? Write to us in the Comments Section.