عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Mawhiba Concludes Participation of 387 Students from 16 Arab Counties in Creativity Program

SPA
SPA
TT
TT

Mawhiba Concludes Participation of 387 Students from 16 Arab Counties in Creativity Program

SPA
SPA

King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity "Mawhiba" celebrated Wednesday the closing ceremony of “Arab Talents” Initiative which saw the participation of 378 female and female participants from 16 Arab countries.
The Arab Talents Initiative, which was part of Mawhiba’s 2023 Creativity Program and was implemented in partnership with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), aimed at empowering talented students from Arab countries and improving their skills, according to SPA.
The activities of the three-week initiative were organized at King Saud University and Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, and covered various fields, including engineering, physics, medical, chemical, and biological sciences, mathematics, astrology, among others.
Mawhiba Secretary-General Dr. Amal Al-Hazzaa explained that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has demonstrated a role model in discovering and empowering the talented people with an expertise in the field extending to more than 25 years.
She also said that the initiative was centered around discovering talents and empowering them as“leaders of change” in the Arab world.
Besides Saudi Arabia, the initiative saw the participation of students from Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, and Yemen.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Japanese Artist Finds Solace, Global Fans with Intricate Leaf-cutting

Japanese leaf-cutting artist, who goes by the name Lito, holds his freshly cut work featuring a frog with an umbrella, during an interview in Tokyo Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Japanese leaf-cutting artist, who goes by the name Lito, holds his freshly cut work featuring a frog with an umbrella, during an interview in Tokyo Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
TT
TT

Japanese Artist Finds Solace, Global Fans with Intricate Leaf-cutting

Japanese leaf-cutting artist, who goes by the name Lito, holds his freshly cut work featuring a frog with an umbrella, during an interview in Tokyo Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Japanese leaf-cutting artist, who goes by the name Lito, holds his freshly cut work featuring a frog with an umbrella, during an interview in Tokyo Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

A frog holding a taro-leaf umbrella. A parade of frolicking animals. An Ukiyo-e style Mount Fuji. Giant waves. A Japanese artist who goes by the name Lito carves these delicate designs on fallen leaves, giving life back to them.
The world of Lito’s delicate art, which he began in 2020 and posts on social media almost daily, has won fans from around the world. The leaf art has also given him solace after earlier struggles with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and a purpose in life — the joy of making people happy with his art, The Associated Press reported.
He enjoys working at night. From a pile of leaves treated with a wrinkle-free chemical, he picks one and places it on a cutting board.
First, he outlines the design on the leaf with a pen in his right hand. Then he takes a design knife in his left hand and starts cutting the leaf carefully. Slowly, the leaf begins to take the shape of a frog carrying an umbrella — a simple design he demonstrated in a recent interview with AP.

More complex, highly intensive work on a single leaf can take more than eight hours to complete.
His leaf-cutting works include titles such as “Scrolls of Frolicking Animals,” “Leaf Aquarium,” and “Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji: The Great Wave off Kanagawa.” Each piece includes his own twists, and often uses animals.
“I would rather finish it in one go when I am focused,” Lito, 38, said. He didn't want to disclose his real name for personal reasons.
Since his childhood, Lito says he has had high levels of concentration and patience. But he had trouble fitting into what was considered the norm at school or at work, despite all his efforts. He struggled to interpret others' feelings and to avoid confrontations.
After years of difficulty, he went to a hospital at age 30 and was told he has ADHD, a diagnosis that he felt explained why he has always done things differently.
He saw no point in forcing himself to do things the same way as other people, and began to adjust his life.
In early 2020, Lito came across the art of leaf cutting. He saw it as the perfect use of his patience and concentration.
Word of his skills has spread across social media, and he has published books on his leaf-cutting work. He holds a near monthly solo exhibition in various places in Japan.
“If I can make people happy by doing what I am doing, I want to do more. That’s my driving force for what's next,” Lito says.