Artists are always trying to branch out into new forms, and now some Chinese artists are branching out into the trees. As the name suggests, leaf carving consists of literally carving an image on to a tree leaf, specifically the leaf of the Chinar tree, a tree native to India, Pakistan and China that bears a close resemblance to the leaf on the maple tree.
This is a relatively new art form according to Dean Prator, a man in Los Angeles who sells customized carved leaves online. And that's amazing, considering art has been around since the dawn of humanity and trees have been around even longer.
However, its roots actually have their basis in ancient history according to Rob Sidner, the director of the Mingei International Museum in San Diego, which specializes in folk art. Despite its apparent youth as a genre, Sidner says leaf carving fits in with other ancient Chinese art traditions. According to leaf carver Victor Liu, the owner of Longal Crafts, which makes and exports carved leaves and other products, it takes special tools to carefully remove the leaf surface without cutting or removing the veins.
The process begins by picking the leaves. Liu says it's important to use mature, unbroken leaves that are picked in autumn and have no insect bites. These leaves are dried in a shady spot for at least 10 months before being boiled for more than five hours to kill bacteria and small worms.
As carving on leaves is still a rare form of art, there are very few artworks and fewer artists. I get orders for special occasions like anniversaries, marriages and home decoration but the overall demand is very less in comparison to most other kinds of artwork.
He adds that such art is impressive not only for its beauty but also as it is a sustainable form of art. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Leaf carving: Intricate Chinese art gains popularity in India Infusing life into dead leaves through art. Back to the big screen: Regional films pick u.. For centuries, Asian culture has recognized paper cutting kirigami as an art form.
Cutting and engraving plant leaves have recently emerged as an offshoot of that ancient craft. Although the terms are often interchanged, the methods for accomplishing leaf carving and leaf engraving are distinctly different. Experts consider the Chinese artisan Huang Taisheng the pioneer of modern leaf engraving. They credit him with developing a process for engraving on thin, fragile, wet leaves in the s. The leaves are trimmed, hammered, pressed, engraved, ironed, bleached, and soaked in a special biological solution.
Then, the outer surface of the leaf is carefully excised. Today, engravers in Hong Kong, who closely guard their secret techniques, produce much of this type of art. Each one must go through a step process to achieve the finished product. A single leaf carving dating back to is housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. But it does suggest that leaf carving was practiced nearly two centuries ago by at least one artisan.
Leaf carving as we know it today begins with a dried leaf and sharp surgical knives used to cut out parts of the leaf to create images. The first modern leaf cutter to develop this art form appears to have been Lorenzo M. It was only through a long process that I was able to achieve the first good results.
Born in Caceres, Spain, and raised in an artistic family, Lorenzo dabbled in drawing, oil paints, and paper cutting. After trying assorted jobs, he was unemployed at age 36 when he decided to return to art. After carefully reviewing the methods used in kirigami, Lorenzo set out to develop his own technique to deal with the peculiarities of this new media.
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