BIO
Lorenzo Manuel Duran (Cáceres, Spain, 1969) is a self-taught Spanish artist and pioneer of contemporary leaf-cutting art, a technique he began developing between 2006 and 2008 after an inspiring encounter with nature. His meticulous and poetic process transforms real leaves into delicate works that explore the connection between fragility and permanence.
Before devoting himself fully to art, he worked for several years in the construction sector, specializing in industrial rope access, a profession he embraced due to his passion for climbing and the mountains, which had long connected him to heights, ropes, and open spaces. After facing unemployment, he realized he had set aside his two true passions —art and nature— and decided to merge them in a creative pursuit. He began painting in oil, a discipline later recognized by the Museu Europeu d’Art Modern (MEAM) in Barcelona, which acquired one of his works.
In the summer of 2006, a fortuitous moment —watching a caterpillar devour a leaf— inspired him to replace the canvas with the leaf itself as his medium. With no previous references to “leaf-cutting art,” he developed his own technique between 2006 and 2008 through trial and error, achieving precise cuts that allow the leaves to be framed and preserved as true works of art.
His leaf-cut artworks are part of collections such as the Peabody Essex Museum (USA) and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Sicily (MacS) in Italy, and have been featured in media including BBC, Daily Mail, and Huffington Post. In 2025, the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid hosts his solo exhibition —a milestone that acknowledges his artistic trajectory and contribution to the dialogue between art and nature.
CV
Exhibitions
2025 La piel del bosque - Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid. Solo exhibition – Spain.
2017-2021 Cut up/Cut out - National Tour. Bedford Gallery, Wallnut Creek, CA. Group exhibition – USA
- 2020-21. Carnegie Arts Center, Turlock, CA
- 2020. Massillon Museum, Massillon, OH
- 2020. Lamont Gallery at Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH
- 2019. Art Museum of West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
- 2019. Amarillo Museum of Art, Amarillo, TX
- 2019. Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
- 2019. Museum of Art & Sciences, Daytona Beach, FL
- 2018. Ellen Noël Art Museum, Odessa, TX
- 2018. Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, FL
- 2017-18. Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL
- 2017. Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA
2016 Enough to Swear By. Morlan Gallery-Transylvania University, Lexington, KY. Group exhibition – USA
2016 IV ALEF (Americas Latino Eco Festival). McNichols Civic Center, Denver, CO. Group exhibition – USA
2015 Only Unusual. Only Art Club Gallery, Hamburg. Group exhibition - Germany
2014-2015 Branching Out: Trees as Art. The Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts. Group exhibition – USA
2014 Exile: A Living of Forest. ONCA Gallery, Brighton, Group exhibition – United Kingdom
2014 Butterflies. Berkshire Museum, Massachusetts, Group exhibition – USA
2014 The Skull Show. Bedford Gallery, California. Group exhibition – USA
2014 Dynamite Gallery, Brighton. Group exhibition – United Kingdom
2014 Soplo de Esperanza. ALEF y Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad de Colorado, Boulder, CO. Solo exhibition – USA
2013 Exposición de Otoño. La Demba Arte-Hotel & Restaurante, Abizanda, Huesca. Solo exhibition – Spain
2013 QR Art Lab, FESCIGU 2013. Auditorio Buero Vallejo, Guadalajara. Live demo and group exhibition – Spain
2013 Art Berkhout. Berkhouter Kert. Group exhibition – The Netherlands
2012-2013 Hoja. Jardín Botánico de Jerusalén. Solo exhibition – Israel
2012 Mono no aware. Bo Lee Gallery, Bath. Group exhibition – United Kingdom
2011 Treebus, 2 Festival Internacional de Ecoarte, Cuenca. Group Exhibition – Spain
2006 IX Concurso Fermín Santos. Sigüenza, Guadalajara. Group Exhibition – Spain
Public and private collections
"Lazos" (leaf cutting). The Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts – USA
"El nudo de la vida" (leaf cutting). MacS, Museo Arte Contemporanea Sicilia – Italy
"Entre cielo y tierra" (oil painting). Museu Europeu d'Art Modern, MEAM - Spain
Commissions (selection)
- Wardour Communications Ltd, front and back covers of “Arup Design Book” – United Kingdom
- Klein & Russo, campaign “Finanziamenti BNL green” for Banca Nazionale del Lavoro – Italy
- Americas Latino Eco-Festival, Denver/Boulder, Colorado – USA
- The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, Israel
- YKS, company logo, Brazil
- DDB Shanghai, environmental campaign – China
Publications (selection)
- Arup Design Book (2015). Published by Wardour Communications Ltd. Cover and back of the book – United Kingdom
- Smallest Leaf, A collection of poetry. By Lisa Toth Salinas. Cover of the book – USA
- Plant Kingdom. Book published by SendPoints Publishing Co.,Ltd – China
- Calendario 2015 para McLeod Russel. Published and designed by Mophysis Communications – India
- Big Art / Small Art. Book published by Thames and Hudson Ltd – United Kingdom