What would you do if you find your coffee adorned with your favorite character made out of foamed milk? Well, not drink it, for one! And rightly so, because Runa Kato, a Japanese latte artist creates such incredible characters on the surface of coffee in both 2D and 3D that you just want to play with.
Kato, who is a manager in a café called ‘Reissue’ located in the famed fashion district of Harajuku in Tokyo, Japan, has made the café popular through 3D latte art. It is certainly creating a storm in …well…a coffee mug! Her stunningly curated latte art includes popular game characters, such as Kirby, and anime characters from shows like ‘Demon Slayer, as also UNESCO world heritage sites and NFL teams.
It is a treat to see this Japanese artist recreate characters in latte foam with a special latte art pen, which is nothing but a thin metal tool. She uses spoons and chocolate sauce to outline various features of the characters and to bring out the fine details. It is her impeccable linework, fine shading and use of space that brings her characters to life. As far as time taken to create this art is concerned, she creates 2D art in five minutes and 3D, in around seven minutes.
Kato has devoted 11 long years working part-time in the coffee industry. She shares her latte art journey on sprudge.com, “I started making latte art in 2018 and I’ve made more than 100,000 cups since. In 2019, I made the world’s first 3D matcha latte art and have since been developing an idea that turns people’s expectations of latte art upside down…latte art you can touch.” You can actually poke, wiggle and manipulate her latest 3D characters without breaking the milk foam!
Kato has made latte art for the Super Bowl and contributed to the torch relay for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She even supports global events through her art. Such is the popularity of this art that customers make special requests for their favorite characters. For the artist, your imagination is the limit! She enjoys a fan following of over 60,000 on Instagram alone.
Runa Kato