VOA文化艺术2024--Japanese Artist Finds Peace in Cutting Leaves

（单词翻译）

A Japanese artist who creates detailed¹ designs on fallen leaves says the process gives the leaves new life and also helps keep him healthy.

The 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 Mount² Fuji and ocean waves.

Lito began making his leaf art in 2020. Now, he has many fans around the world who discovered his designs on social media.

He 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 disorder³, or ADHD. People with ADHD can experience difficulties such as mental focus, directing attention and organizing and controlling urges.

The 38-year-old Lito said that in addition to helping⁴ him deal with his own issues, he hopes his art can give other people enjoyment⁵ as well.

Lito likes working at night. In a demonstration⁶ 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.

He 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.

Some of Lito's more complex creations⁷ 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 Scrolls⁸ of Frolicking Animals, Leaf Aquarium⁹, 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.

Since 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.

After years of difficulty, he went to a hospital at age 30 and was told he has ADHD, a diagnosis¹⁰ he felt explained why he has always done things differently.

Lito said he saw no reason to force himself to do things the same way as other people. So, he decided¹¹ to change his way of living.

In early 2020, Lito learned about the art of leaf cutting. He saw it as the perfect use of his patience and concentration.

Word 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.

"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.

I'm Jill Robbins.

Mayuko Ono, Shuji Kajiyama and Mari Yamaguchi reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English.

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Words in This Story

umbrella - n. a device used to protect oneself from rain or sunlight

focus - n. a state or condition permitting clear perception¹² or understanding

concentration - n. the ability to give your attention or thought to a single object or activity

patient - adj. bearing¹³ pain or difficulty calmly or without complaint

diagnosis - n. a medical finding of disease