Impact

THESE LEAVES MAKE LIFE MORE BEAUTIFUL

Close up of Azuma Makoto piece. Photo courtesy of Tree Hugger.

Photo: Courtesy of Tree Hugger. Leaves arranged to create a wheel like pattern.

We present three incredible stories about leaves that are making a difference. Check out beautiful vases, made of tobacco leaves, that help bring economic security to Haitian refugees. You’ll be fascinated by a new all-natural synthetic leaf that can make oxygen and help improve our air quality. And get into the zen of extraordinary sculptures made of thousands of hand-folded leaves.

COLLAPSABLE LEAVES -- AZUMA MAKOTO

In a zen-like process, artist and floral designer Azuma Makoto folds thousands of leaves, carefully, by hand, to create beautiful sculptures and forms that can soothe your soul. They are a true delight.

Makoto’s sculptures are suspended from ceilings and mounted on walls, bringing a peaceful green respite to each room they occupy.

Azuma layers and arranges the leaves using a simple, yet painstakingly executed technique. The repetitions of form create a beautiful texture that begs to be touched.

Some piece show off patterns found in the leaves’ structures. Some contrast different kinds of leaves and mosses.

See more of Azuma Makoto's work on his site.

NATURALLY HAITI COLLECTION -- URBAN ZEN

It’s hard in Haiti, a country long besieged by economic and environmental disaster. But one special initiative is helping a group of Haitian artisans to rise above it all.

Urban Zen, founded by Donna Karan, commissions them to make beautiful objects using native natural materials. They have created a line of gorgeous vases and vessels made out of locally grown tobacco leaves. They make a striking statement both visually and socially.

Large brown tobacco leaves are shaped by hand, to show off their distinctive veining. "The artistry and skill is breathtaking," Karan says. The line is part of the Naturally Haiti Collection.

The Urban Zen Haiti Artisan Project is dedicated to creating a sustainable model of philanthropy and commerce. It not only supports the artisan communities of Haiti, but it also preserves the country’s rich culture.

Donna Karan was first introduced to Haiti by President Bill Clinton, and the Clinton Global Initiative after the country’s devastating earthquake in 2010. The Naturally Haiti Collection now serves as the model for the Soulful Economy movement. In addition to enabling these artisans to earn a living, this effort has helped to raise awareness, create jobs, and provide vocational education.

THE SILK LEAF -- JULIAN MELCHIORRI

A new leaf made of silk and plant organelles can make oxygen. It’s an astonishing feat.

Julian Melchiorri, a graduate of the Royal College of Art, developed this amazing leaf in conjunction with a silk lab from Tufts University.

Melchiorri and his team created the leaf from a matrix of silk protein and chloroplasts, the parts of plants that enable photosynthesis. The synthetic leaf produces oxygen, just as a real leaf does.

While it is synthetic, it is completely biological. The Silk Leaf takes in carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water, just as real leaves do. And, like real plants, the photosynthesis process of Silk Leaves doesn’t consume much energy has no detrimental waste products.

Melchiorri used this new leaf material to design lighting which can not only light up a room but feed it with oxygen at the same time. He also envisions the use of the leaf for space travel, as it can potentially produce oxygen for consumption during long journeys.

The leaves can also be used on the facades of buildings and inside ventilation systems in order to generate fresh oxygen for us right here on Earth.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Leaves in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 10.26.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!