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After factory layoff, Filipina cashes in on 'leaf art' venture

Published 09/04/2020, 09:00 AM

By Adrian Portugal
BINAN, Philippines, Sept 4 (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 saw 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 has 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 Michael Jackson and even 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 at 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 ($8.24). 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."

(Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

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