For Ipoh-based contemporary artist, Chan Karwai, the relaxed sipping of Ipoh white coffee at a local cafe has allowed her to create her maiden artwork using coffee grinds, which is usually thrown away. “My interest in the coffee shop waste was piqued when I had a conversation with the owner, who then gave me some dried coffee waste to experiment as material for creating art, ” said Chan, who operates her studio in Ipoh, which incidentally, is also considered home to the this special blend of coffee that is roasted in a manner to produce whitish looking beans, hence the moniker “white coffee”. “Prior to using coffee waste, I last used charcoal to produce an image of (the late) George Floyd in homage to the Black Lives Matter movement, ” said Chan, who is famous for her oil paintings of various celebrities, especially Formula One drivers. In her maiden coffee art piece, Chan used coffee grinds of various sizes to replicate the hibiscus plant featured on the iconic Nanyang coffee cup and saucer set commonly found in Chinese coffee shops. The coffee grind is set on a piece of wooden board using glue, with varying layers to create a near three-dimensional impression when viewed up close.

Source: The Star February 14, 2021 23:15 UTC