tiny leaves with cut-outs portray joyful animals as silhouette artworks

Leaf cut-outs by artist lito depict joyful animals

Japanese artist Lito portrays joyful animals in nature as silhouette artworks using paper cut-out technique on tiny leaves. Instead of adding material on the foliage, the artist removes it, carving images on the surface and depicting gleeful fauna. In his hands, this practice of cutting becomes a narrative that uses nature as the primary character. His leaves have been cut into the shape of a fish, raccoon, birds, reindeer, rabbits, frogs, owls, and so many more. 

Their bodies are filled with a repeating scale pattern created by dozens of small, evenly spaced openings, and the details of their faces and features are defined by thin lines left behind by careful cutting. Viewers are invited to see the cut-out leaves in person in the two ongoing exhibitions of Lito at the Kami City Takashi Yanase Memorial Museum in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, until February 8th, 2026, as well as on the first floor of the Grand Mall Park in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, which runs until February 23rd, 2026.

all images courtesy of Lito

SILHOUETTE artworks that require precise cutting 

The leaf cut-outs by the Japanese artist Lito float against the sky when held gently by hand, underlining the small animals, gentle humor, and quiet scenes of the artworks. Technically, the process demands focus since each cut must be precise and cannot be redone. The image must be visualized fully before the blade touches the leaf, so the artist draws on it first before starting the cuts.

Lito, born in Tokyo in 1986 and raised in Kanagawa Prefecture, began working with leaf cut-outs in 2020. He taught himself the technique as a way to channel the focus linked to his ADHD. What started as a personal method of concentration quickly grew into a daily practice. Almost every day, he cuts a single leaf and shares the result on his social media. Over time, the practice moved from social media to physical spaces, with his solo exhibitions across Japan drawing crowds. It won’t be a wonder, not when his canvases give a playful spin on the animal world.

a racoon in an open bathroom, washing

a reindeer looking at the birds soaring

the cutting needs to be precise, as the leaf is a fragile material

three rabbits smashing a hammer

a raccoon eating ramen

view of frog leaf cut-out

three owls perching on a branch

fishermen and the animal world below them

project info:

artist: Lito | @lito_leafart

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