A CUP of coffee accidentally spilled during a painting session has become the inspiration behind a 26-year-old artist coffee portrait creations.
The freelance artist, live wedding painter and art educator said she discovered the medium by chance when she noticed how coffee created different shades and tones on paper.
“I found it fascinating that one brown colour could produce so many layers and tones,” she told Buletin Mutiara in a recent interview at her residence in Bayan Lepas.
Originally from Pengkalan Hulu, Perak, Jessie Ng Jie Xin developed a passion for drawing at a young age despite limited exposure to art in her hometown. Her interest eventually led her to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang.
While studying, she began exploring live painting through social media and later turned it into a profession, specialising in wedding paintings that capture couples and their surroundings on canvas during their special day.
“A painting usually takes four to seven hours to complete, and I try to finish most of it at the wedding itself so the couple can watch it come to life,” she said.
Besides weddings, Ng has also painted at corporate and brand events, including for Victoria’s Secret, and has travelled to Sarawak for commissioned works.
She said one of the most meaningful aspects of her work is being able to preserve important memories for her clients.
A memorable commission involved incorporating a deceased family member into a wedding painting, which moved the family to tears and left a lasting impression on her.
Beyond wedding art, Ng has developed a niche in coffee portrait painting, using coffee of varying concentrations to create detailed portraits with rich tonal gradients.
She said the medium offers a unique artistic effect while filling her workspace with the aroma of coffee throughout the creative process.
The unique art form has attracted growing interest from the public. During an event at Gurney Plaza, orders for her coffee portraits increased through word-of-mouth after customers shared their artworks with friends.
“What started with only a couple of orders eventually grew into six or seven portrait commissions in a single day. The positive response and appreciation motivate me to keep creating,” she said.
The experience also changed her perception of the local art market, as she realised more people were willing to support and invest in original artwork than she had initially expected.
Although her family initially hoped she would pursue a stable career, Ng chose to follow her passion and now earns a living through wedding painting, coffee portrait commissions, visual art projects and art teaching.
She acknowledged that freelancing comes with challenges, including irregular income and the need to manage every aspect of the business independently, from client communications and scheduling to content creation and marketing.
“Discipline is the most important thing. You need to plan your work and keep moving forward,” she said.
Looking to the future, Ng hopes to establish her own art studio and organise small-scale art workshops while continuing to expand her wedding and coffee art ventures.
She also hopes to bring her coffee portrait art to more tourism and cultural events, allowing visitors to experience a unique art form while showcasing the creativity of young Penang artists.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Siew Chia En