Albanian makes world's largest coffee bean mosaic

TIRANA: A mosaic made with a million coffee beans by Albanian artist Saimir Strati, depicting five musicians, entered the Guinness World Records Monday as the world's largest coffee bean mosaic.

Strati used 140 kg (309 pounds) of coffee beans, some roasted black, some averagely and some not roasted at all, to portray a Brazilian dancer, a Japanese drummer, a U.S. country music singer, a European accordionist and an African drummer.

"I wanted to give the message that sharing love over a cup of coffee brings us closer, a cup of coffee brings us more love than a G20 meeting," Strati told Reuters.

Guinness judge Seyda Subasi Gemici said Strati had been required to work in public and the mosaic, composed of coffee beans alone, had to measure 25 square meters (269 square feet).

"I can say all guidelines were met... And my final measure is 25.1 square meters," she said.

The mosaic earned Strati his sixth entry in the Guinness World Records after he began using his technique of applying little objects like pixels in a camera to create images.

He has made a portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci with nails, a galloping horse with toothpicks, the Mediterranean with wine bottle corks, singer Michael Jackson with paint brushes and the Greek poet Homer with industrial screws.

Strati said he wanted his latest mosaic, sponsored by Lori Kafe, one of Albania's main coffee companies, to spread the message of "One world, one family, over a cup of coffee."