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.
"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."
