Kolkata’s Coffee Man – Whipping up art with coffee

Every day we come across different types of art and different artists cand are never out of innovations. Art has no limits. Bengal has seen artists of all sorts, who have made us proud globally. And here is a man who has taken Coffee to an artistic high. He is Partha Mukherjee, a resident of Behala, who works at an IT company but has pursued his artistic interests. Since childhood, he was interested in varied art forms and used to make statues from a young age. Without being too aware of what he was doing, he primarily pursued his interests out of the fun he got through his creations. He was fond of creating colours out of the things that were easily available to him such as flowers, leaves, Alta, and other such things. This lingering interest did not part with him even in adulthood, even after he joined his job and pursued a technical career. And now he is Kolkata’s famous Coffee Man.

Mukherjee had a penchant for artworks that cannot be categorized under the usual conventional drawings, he always framed his artworks in a different way than the traditional artworks. He especially, loved to make colours out of natural dyes and ingredients, from things that we encounter daily in our household and used them to draw and paint. A few years back, the idea of painting with coffee popped into his head and thus began the “coffee art” journey of the Coffee Man. At first, he showcased his coffee art to his known circles and mostly within the family. Two years ago, in the depressing atmosphere due to Covid-19, many had lost their loved ones, and most were scared of the terrifying situation. In this situation, Mukherjee extended a hand of friendship to the helpless, distressed people. He put up his artworks in an exhibition for relief funds, where he displayed several pictures painted with coffee. After that, he never stopped. He wanted to do something more with his coffee art, he wanted to help people. After two years of lockdown, most people were left with unending grief, as if it were the only constant partner of every person. He had the will and he got the perfect opportunity. He started sharing his thoughts with his familiar circles and gradually he went all out. He says, “While enjoying your coffee, spend some time with me. Share your thoughts with me. I’ll try to transform your emotions into a coffee art within a few minutes.”

It took some time to spread his invitation on social media. Gradually, the number of interested people started increasing. And this is how he started to be recognized as Kolkata’s Coffee Man. He has even started a mission named “Kolkata’s Coffee Man.” He gained a lot of experience in his 8-month journey. He met many new faces, heard their stories, and connected with them. Many even wept while talking about their griefs and sorrows. After the coffee art was made, their faces illuminated with a smile and Mukherjee said that this happiness was his income. People went home with a light heart and that is what mattered to him. 

He draws on canvas, paper, glass, and even on the wall but he loves to draw portraits the most. The timeline of his social media handles proves this. On his timeline, one can see many faces of unknown people and at the same time, there are paintings of many celebrities as well, all made of coffee. He gets most requests for portraits. He keenly waits for such requests and the moment he gets a request, he immediately makes an incredible creation with his Coffee Art. 

His art is not limited only to posh cafes but he goes to different places such as the Maidan, draws on the roads of Kolkata, and even at home. He grinds the coffee beans to such an extent that they do not decompose. He even uses a different type of paper to draw on. If suddenly he gets requests on the roads or in a café, he immediately buys a pack of coffee and dilutes it, mixes it in water, and makes fantastic coffee art in just a few minutes. He chose coffee to draw pictures because he loved the colour and texture of coffee. He has used different types of coffee to draw with and experimented with them. You might be wondering if he charges for the coffee art or not, to which he answers with a smile on his face, “Buying me a cup of coffee is enough. Besides that, if anybody offers me something then I accept it.” 

We need more such people who happily lend their hand to help people in need. In every corner of the world, some people deal with their grief alone. Thanks to Mukherjee and people like him who are actively working towards such issues. He has set an example and showed us how art is intertwined with the aspects of everyday life.