By Korea.net Honorary Reporters Menna Allah Muhammad and Nada Taher from Egypt
Photos = Lee Kang Bin

There is a quote that goes, “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy coffee and that’s pretty close.” Coffee lovers get so excited about having their morning coffee. The smell gets them going and start a good day, but what about having a pretty drawing on top, too? That’s a plus.

Lee Kang Bin is a 27-year-old barista who developed ordinary latte art into what he calls "cream art." He recreates famous paintings in miniature in the foam atop your cup of coffee. He can do Disney characters and even TV or pop starts on top of a foamy cup of coffee, as well as many other drawings and designs. We had the honor of speaking with him and we asked him a little bit about his work.

- Can you tell us more about yourself, your studies and your art?
I entered college in 2010, majoring in barista studies. I attended for a year and then started work in the coffee business, after my military service. I developed a special menu just for myself. "Cream art" is not just a pretty cup of coffee that's visibly artistic. It's an entire menu. Not just the skill, but the name of the whole menu. "Cream art" is a menu designed to keep the taste of a good cup of coffee and to include art, too.

- When and how did you start your business?
I got into the coffee business 11 years ago. It has been nine years since I started with my latte art, and I developed "cream art" five years ago. I always wanted to give new memories to my customers, all while keeping my fundamentals as a barista. So I developed this delicious and wonderful "cream art," and the cafe business I started three years ago.



- Did you ever learn how to draw? How do you compete with others in the industry?
I didn't learn how to draw, and I have no competitors. To me, they are all helpers to my dream. I developed my own greatest competitiveness, and since I'm the first person to spread this type of art, nobody thinks they can compete with me. Apparently, there are people who have better skills and abilities in terms of art. I respect them. However, I have a certain originality that others just cannot copy.

- What's the most popular design people usually order?
The most popular work is "The Starry Night" (1889) by Vincent van Gogh.

- What's the average time to prepare a cup of coffee? Do you have any assistants?
It takes between one minute and two hours, but the drinks sold in the store can be made in less than 10 minutes. My team steadily supports me and I'm teaching them all the skills.

- How do you use your art to encourage tourism to Korea?
I express Korean issues in the coffee.

- What are some opportunities you've had? Please tell us about your time during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
I can express everything on the coffee, so I can combine everything with coffee. I've made a variety of commercials so far, and I've performed by drawing Bandabi and Soohorang on coffee, the mascots for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.





- How do you get encouragement and constructive criticism?
I always get a lot of encouragement. Thanks to them, I’m what I am now, and I could be even better in the future. I don't think that I could ever have come this far alone, and I'm going to move forward with great support from my team. I always appreciate that.

- Have you achieved what you wanted? What are your plans for the future?
I hope my "cream art" will be sold as a basic menu item in cafes all over the world. I want to be widely known in the coffee industry as the Korean barista who developed new styles. I want to make Korea's status higher! So I will steadily communicate information to many people around the world.

-What do you say to those who want to find and improve their talents?
If you try to make money by doing what you like, it's very hard. As soon as you are good at what you like, however, money comes naturally. If you don't ever give up and try and do what you like until you're good at it, I'm sure you can approach your dreams.

Thank you very much for your time it’s always fun to talk to someone who loves what they do.

There's no denying that Lee's coffee is a bonus to everyone’s ordinary latte. It's also very "Instagram worthy." You can see more of his "cream art" here.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.