Don't play with your food, we're told, but we know that doesn't apply when it comes to latte art. Baristas have become artists in their own right, but one artist has taken their medium to a new level with animated latte art videos that will perk you up as fast as your morning brew.
Hazel Zakariya has created latte art inspired by movies and pop culture, including Pixar's Hoppers. Her tributes to Tom the Lizard have received thousands of likes on Instagram.
Based in London, Hazel is a multidisciplinary artist who blends digital work with the tactility of physical media and stop-motion animation. She's already worked with brands like Marvel, Amazon Prime Video, Adobe and Le Creuset, and she was commissioned to create original art for the Paris Olympics 2024 social media campaign.
While she's not a food stylist specifically, food is one of her favourite mediums to work with. She became well-known for her smoothie bowl art and now creates miniature masterpieces on lattes and slices of toast too. The video above was inspired by the many Tom the Lizard memes sparked by the character's appearance in the closing credits of Elio. Here's another tribute to Pixar's character.
Disney and Pixar themselves have commended Hazel's work in the comments on her posts. And Tom isn't the only Pixar character that Hazel has turned into latte art.
Pixar recently posted Hazel's depiction of Chef Remy from Ratatouille, painted using cold brew coffee, coconut cream, oat cream and superfood powders.
Other stars appearing in Hazel's latte art include Snoopy, Hello Kitty, Pikachu and several characters from Wallace and Gromit.
Last year, Hazel celebrated Flow's Oscar animation win with this tribute to the cat from the movie.
Inspired? See our guide to the best animation software. And speaking of Pixar, get the latest on the Taylor Swift Toy Story 5 rumours.
