Albanian artist offers 'therapy' with portraits painted in coffee

Albanian artist David Kryemadhi douses his brush with coffee and carefully sketches the face of a cafe customer, hoping the offer of a free portrait will bring cheer amid the anxiety of the pandemic. Many Albanians regard cafes as a vital institution and punctuate most days with caffeinated outings -- the country of 2.8 million reputedly has one of the highest numbers of cafes in the world per head of population.

Albanian artist offers 'therapy' with portraits painted in coffee
PHOTO: AFP

"Art and coffee help a lot of people," Kryemadhi told AFP in the seaside city of Durres. 
"The moment of calm and reflection while painting a portrait helps the other person gain self-confidence and see the world with a positive synergy, a more open eye." 
Kryemadhi uses coffee like watercolour paints, composing portraits with a rich, brown patina -- adding water to create different shades. 
In the cafes of Albania, he has found a natural setting for his brand of art therapy.
To find subjects to paint, he strikes up conversations with customers before offering a free portrait.  
"It did me so much good," said student Alexsandra while waiting for her portrait to dry.  
"I find in this painting all my emotions, my torments, my thoughts."