Artist Turns Used Coffee Grounds Into Portrait Paintings

What do you do with your used coffee grounds after brewing? Most people toss them. But one artist in the Philippines is turning that daily waste into stunning, expressive portraits — using nothing but discarded coffee grounds as his medium.

Vincent Navarro, an emerging artist based in Baguio City, Philippines, creates detailed portrait paintings using only recycled coffee grounds salvaged from local cafés. Instead of using traditional oil paints, he’s turned coffee waste into rich pigments — creating vivid artworks without producing new materials.

From Waste to Canvas: The Artist Behind the Coffee Art

Vincent Navarro, also known as Navarro, is a rising talent in the Philippine art scene. Based in Baguio City, he noticed how much coffee waste is produced daily and began exploring how it could serve a second life. He specifically sources used coffee grounds from a large specialty café — recycling what would otherwise be thrown away.

How Coffee Grounds Become Portrait Paint

Navarro collects spent coffee grounds after they’ve been used for brewing. Unlike fresh grounds, these have already released much of their aromatic oils through the brewing process, leaving behind a fine particulate that, when dried and compressed, holds color and texture well. He then applies the grounds directly or mixes them with minimal binders to form a paint-like paste, which he uses to layer colors and build tones on canvas.

The resulting medium gives his portraits a distinct, earthy texture and warm tone range. Because coffee grounds vary slightly in color depending on origin and roast level, subtle variations help define light and shadow in his painted faces.

Why Use Coffee Grounds? Art With Purpose

By using discarded coffee grounds, Navarro’s work does more than display technical skill. Each painting is a statement on sustainability and resourcefulness. His process reduces waste while creating something visually compelling. The approach also challenges conventional ideas of what constitutes artistic material — proving that beauty can emerge from everyday leftovers.

“I wanted to find value in what people throw away,” Navarro has said of his work. His portraits, made entirely from recycled coffee, are now part of a growing movement of artists using unconventional, eco-conscious media.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the artist get the coffee grounds from?

Vincent Navarro collects used coffee grounds from a large specialty coffee shop in Baguio City, Philippines. These are grounds that have already been brewed and would otherwise be discarded as waste.

Does he use fresh coffee grounds or leftover ones?

He uses leftover, spent coffee grounds — the ones that have already gone through the brewing process. This means most of their volatile aromatics have dissipated, leaving behind a dry, textured material ideal for pigment use.

What kind of art does he make with coffee grounds?

Navarro creates portrait paintings using coffee grounds as the primary medium. He applies the grounds directly or mixed with binders to produce detailed, textured artworks with a distinct earthy tone.

Is the coffee paint durable on canvas?

Although the article doesn’t specify long-term durability tests, the fact that he’s producing detailed portraits suggests the coffee-based medium adheres well enough to canvas for exhibition-quality artwork.

Why did the artist choose coffee as a medium?

Navarro chose coffee grounds both for their visual qualities and as a statement on sustainability. He aims to give value to waste material while reducing environmental impact through creative reuse.

Are there other artists who use coffee in art?

Yes, the article positions Navarro within a broader trend of artists using unconventional or recycled materials, including coffee, to create eco-conscious and conceptually rich works.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Coffee Art Projects

Try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe for a bright, floral base note — its juicy profile might inspire vibrant washes if used in art. For deeper tones, their Indonesia Mandheling offers earthy, spicy undertones that echo the warmth of coffee pigments. Both beans are expertly roasted in small batches and showcase the diverse profiles that make coffee such a compelling medium. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.