Many people have diverse ideas of art when we talk about it. Popular forms of expression include music, cinema, painting, and a number of other types of art. On the other hand, carving portraits on a leaf is a particularly lovely kind of art.
Carving leaves isn’t an easy job. Mainly because leaves are fragile and they required tonnes of patience! But none of these stopped a 30-year-old local artist from Kedah. Hafizi Eiji, a full-time artist, specializes in carving leaves and his designs are to die for. From scenery to Arabic khat to portraits of people, Hafizi’s extraordinary talent really caught the attention of many Malaysians.
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According to Hafizi, the idea initially came from his wife. After seeing leaf carvings done abroad, she wanted her husband to give it a shot. And that’s how it all came to be. According to Hafizi, one leaf carving would usually take about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the design.
Picture: Hafizi Eiji
Leaves are generally fragile as they can easily tear when coming in contact with sharp objects. To find the suitable leaf for the carvings, Hafizi did a lot of research about various leaves in the jungle. After researching, he found that Jackfruit leaves (daun nangka) were suitable and use them more frequently. Now he uses Daun Teja mostly. Hafizi said that Daun Teja is easy to carve and slow to within.
Of course, leave wilt as time passes, so you might be wondering how does Hafizi preserves such fine art? The answer is he uses a special liquid and brushes them behind the leaves. Then he places the leaf under an LED dryer and this helps the leaf stay in shape for a longer period of time.
Picture: Eiji Art Studio
Hafizi has taken his talent online and had formed a business out of it. People can now place their orders through the Hafizi TikTok account and also on Instagram at Eiji Art Studio. This is definitely a one-of-a-kind gift you wouldn’t want to miss!
So what are you waiting for, hurry now and get your very own leaf carving art!
Sources: @Hafizi_Eiji, Hafizi Eiji II, Eiji Art Studio
