Cofee Sculptures

The arty latte... or how to turn coffee into sculpture: Japanese artist creates foamy artworks using toothpick and a spoon Kazuki Yamamato creates turns his hands to both portraits and sculpture The barista has created bunnies, hippos and even giraffes His skills have earned him 82,000 followers on Twitter By David Gardner If you like to play with the froth on your coffee, here's a challenge for you – could you make something as striking as these? The rabbit, hippo and giraffe emerging from the coffee cups are the astonishing work of a barista in a Japanese cafe. Japanese latte artist Kazuki Yamamoto has taken coffee art to a higher level. While others may try swirling their flat images on foam, the 26-year-old specialises in building 3-D sculptures, some of them even climbing out of one cup and into another. Purrr-fect coffee: These cute cats look like they're posing for the camera. Japanese latte artist Kazuki Yamamoto has taken coffee art to a higher level Creature coffee: Tokyo resident Mr Yamamato, 23, says each artwork takes between three and five minutes The barista's currently working in Cafe10g in Osaka but dreams of opening his own place in Tokyo where making art, however fleeting, is more than just a perk of the job. Among his temporary masterpieces are pictures of pop sensation Psy, and Disney characters Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Pinocchio. Yamamoto has made a name for himself on Twitter, where more than 82,000 followers receive daily tweets with images of his latest creations. But he's hardly the only latte artist to emerge from Japan. Time for coffee: A Salvador Dali-esque melting clock adorns this cup of java Help me! A polar bear struggles to escape his caffeinated peril Scare bear: Customers love the Japanese artist's incredible and unique works of art Not all cute: The sculpture on the left shows the deadly protagonist of the hit Japanese horror film Ring Wrong side of the bed? Like many people, this cat is a bit grumpy until after his first cup Hello Kitty: The iconic Japanese mascot greets a customer (left). The unnamed foam sculpture on the right bears an uncanny resemblance to former PM Gordon Brown Hot beverage bath: The nimble-fingered barista first created 'flat white' pictures on coffees and moved into sculpture Yamamoto's friend Kohei Matsuno, a 23-year-old originally from Osaka who now works at a café in Tokyo, also creates coffee characters from anime to Lady Gaga. More recently, Matsuno has begun recreating famous works of art like Edvard Munch's 'The Scream.' He uses a toothpick and a spoon for such fine details. The milk and foam parts go on first, then he uses toothpicks to add 'shading' with espresso. The whole process, he says, takes about three to five minutes. Some controversy exists within the coffee community as to whether or not there is excessive focus on latte art amongst baristas. The argument is that too much focus on the superficial appearance of a drink leads some to ignore more important issues - such as taste. Intricate: Some sculptures, such as this cat watching fish in a pond, are spread over two cups. Many show popular cartoon characters, such as the three-eyed aliens from Toy Story Mr Yamamoto said: 'I use a cocktail pin and spoon, steamed milk and delicious espresso' Perky pandas: 82,000 people follow Mr Yamamato's coffee creations on Twitter Asleep: Despite all the coffee, this bear is enjoying a peaceful nap. Mr Yamamato hopes to open his own coffee shop one day While others may try swirling their flat images on foam, the 26-year-old specialises in building 3-D sculptures, some of them even climbing out of one cup and into another Sun and shadow: A bear transitions from darkness to light