She picked up autumn fallen leaves and took them home, astonishing the whole world

The moment a withered leaf falls to the ground,

it is both an ending,

and a rebirth.

Withered Leaf Art

Walking along the road, a leaf catches her eye,

a leaf floating on a puddle.

She picks up the leaf and takes it home.

And so this leaf begins a new life.

At home, a row of leaves hangs on the clothesline,

She gently runs her fingers over each leaf,

touching their veins,

listening to their inner voice,

then carefully mends and creates with needle and thread.

Dried leaves look like they would crumble at a touch,

but German artist Susanna Bauer

has woven them into one fascinating world after another.

Four mischievous dots slip down from a leaf and run off to stand to one side, two leaves leaning head to head rely on each other and move forward together, a little boat with its mast upright, an eagle soaring with spread wings, a leather tambourine, a violin, a kite......

In different people's eyes,

seen from different angles,

they can be different things,

they can be anything.

Now 48 years old, Susanna began creating with leaves about 10 years ago, and to her this special art feels like it was tailor-made for her.

The withered leaves called out to her, and she followed that call as if it were a mission."I often feel that these leaves found me, rather than me discovering them."

Susanna's mother and grandmother were both weaving enthusiasts,

she loved doing handicrafts from a young age,

and also loved nature.

Whenever she had free time she would plant radishes with her own hands,

or build miniature scenes with matchboxes.

Even so, when she heard the call of the withered leaves,

it still took her many years.

At first she studied landscape design at university,

but after a few years of study she always felt something was off,

so she dropped out of school, gave up her degree,

and went to work as an apprentice at a product model company for three years.

Model making demands caution and precision,

and Susanna's hands became ever more deft.

Making perfect chocolates for advertisements,

building miniature pyramids and warships for films,

cookies, telephones, coffee machines

......

from product models to special effects models,

she felt she could make anything.

This world, it seemed, really could be realized just by thinking of it.

Only, a model is still a model after all,

and after several years the unease returned once more.

In the woods, on the beach,

a wisp of breeze, a grain of sand,

the fleeting beauty of nature,

still lingered in Susanna's heart.

So she once again entered an art school,

working by day, taking classes by night.

There, she finally found her own way,

using craft to blend art and nature.

Susanna still clearly remembers

the first withered leaf cube she made.

Although it felt a little strange, that very night

she fell asleep happily, filled with a peculiar surprise.

Waking the next day, the little cube was still on the table,

so it seemed it was not a dream. She said to it,

"You're really interesting, let's give it a try together."

And that try has continued right up to now.

Moving from the big city to the countryside,

Susanna can always notice

the natural details that people overlook.

Two leaves happen to lean against each other,

several leaves tumble upward in the wind,

these momentary changes of scenery always, without warning,

spark her flowing associations.

Every leaf seems like a character,

every work seems like a story.

Encounter

What kind of encounter is this?

Love at first sight, unwilling to part?

Or loving and fighting each other, entangled beyond clarity?

Along the way

Who did you meet along the way?

Each has its own splendor,

and I have my own preciousness.

Connection

Originally on two separate branches,

what is it that connects them?

You look up, I look back, drawing close to each other.

These withered leaves seem fragile,

yet are full of strength,

they form a marvelous balance with the soft threads,

the tension between them taut yet rippling with tenderness.

Is it not the same between people?

Bridge

Upward

Many people ask, don't the withered leaves break?

Did she do some kind of protective treatment?

Although it requires great care,

Susanna insists on using leaves in their original state.

She spent a lot of time figuring out the limits of various withered leaves,

and later, every time she got a leaf she knew what could be done with it,

and there would be almost no damage at all.

Over the past few years, her withered leaf works

have been exhibited in several galleries in Europe and the United States,

and she has taken part in the London Art Fair for four consecutive years.

A Dance

More and more people collect them,

and people keep asking her for custom pieces,

she is very happy to discuss with others

and explore the infinite potential of withered leaves.

One, two, and three

But sometimes Susanna also wonders,

what am I doing here sewing leaves?

What will the next work be?

When she has no inspiration, when she lacks confidence,

she will at least clean up the studio.

She takes out the leaves treasured in her wallet,

and converses with them with all her heart. As long as she keeps working,

sooner or later a suitable idea will arrive,

and then through her delicate handiwork become one piece after another

that is a leaf yet not a leaf.

Walking past these seemingly understated works,

many people take a quick glance, and then

as if remembering something, turn back and stand still

Look closely, and leave with a smile.

What the needle and thread stitch together is not just dried leaves,

not just nature and art, but also the human heart.

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