Turning over a new leaf: Filipina artist transforms foliage into intricate portraits

Mary Mae Dacanay began creating the painstaking works after losing her job during the pandemic

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  Filipino artist Mary Mae Dacanay shows an illustration of the Virgin Mary she made out of a leaf, in her home in Laguna, Philippines,. Reuters

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  The artist's tribute to workers fighting the pandemic on the front lines. Reuters

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  Dacanay crafts her pieces from jackfruit leaves. Reuters

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  Her portrait of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Reuters

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  Selling her works has helped the artist stay financially afloat during the pandemic. Reuters

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  Dacanay makes portraits and illustrations out of leaves. Reuters

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  The pieces sell for about Dh30. Reuters

When the coronavirus struck and cost Mary Mae Dacanay her factory job in the Philippines, the 23-year-old came up with a unique new source of income – turning leaves into celebrity art.

Dacanay viewed her redundancy as chance to enjoy her favourite pastime – art – but at first had difficulty sourcing materials in a country that has had in place some of the world's longest and strictest coronavirus measures.

With no luck finding canvas, Dacanay instead picked leaves from a jackfruit tree outside her home, intricately cutting away tiny pieces to reveal well-known faces, from Robert Downey Jr and Oprah Winfrey to the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte.

"Because of this pandemic, I wanted to try making artwork but purchasing art supplies in my town was very difficult because of the strict lockdown," she said, speaking from her home in Laguna province, south of the capital Manila.

"The only way was to buy online but it was also difficult. I experimented using leaves as a makeshift canvas and it turned out really nice."

After gaining thousands of followers on Facebook, Dacanay has sold hundreds of pieces of her "leaf art", each for about 400 pesos (Dh30). The exact price varies according to the level of detail in each piece.

Now, instead of working seven days a week at the factory, plus overtime, she said her new venture allows her to enjoy her hobby, take things easier and still pay the bills.

"This leaf art has helped me so much financially during this pandemic," she said.

"The money I use to pay bills, buy food for my family, and our other daily expenses are from my earnings from commissioned work."