Artwork Made By Precise Leaf Cutting

Lorenzo Duran Silva makes caterpillars look like sloppy amateurs. But the little creatures deserve at least some credit, as it was their habit of munching on leaves that first inspired Silva to create these amazing pieces of art.

He is an artist from Cáceres, Spain. It wasn’t until 2005, at the age of 36, that Durán would fully pursue his passion for art and nature. Starting with more traditional oil paintings, he found himself inspired one day by a caterpillar eating a leaf. The moment propelled him to try cutting a leaf with a scalpel. That was 2008 and the rest is history.

Through a lengthy process of trial and error, Durán has developed his own leaf-cutting technique, taking great care not to ‘spoil’ the leaf during the cutting process. His main tools are a surgical scalpel and dental-pointed device that helps him remove the cut parts from the leaf. Most of his ‘canvases’ are collected from areas right around where he lives/works.

It has taken over four years to perfect his technique, which consists of first gathering the leaves, then washing, drying and pressing them to create a suitable canvas. Silva then uses a surgical scalpel to create these intricate cutouts, which can take months to complete, or be destroyed in seconds with the slip of a hand.