Photo via @baristabrian Instagram
Toronto is home to some pretty talented individuals, but it’s safe to say that this barista is in a league of his own. Brian Leonard, a.k.a. Barista Brian, is making a name for himself in Hollywood — not for his songs or films, but for his latte art.
The Toronto-based artist has been all over the media lately, showcasing the stunning portraits that he paints onto foamy cups of coffee.
His Instagram is full of famous faces, and we mean the real-life kind. Brian’s art has gained a reputation among A-listers and Hollywood can’t seem to get enough of him.
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The celebs featured on his page include Syndey Sweeney, Selena Gomez, Courtney Cox, Kirsten Dunst, Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Ben Stiller, Tiffany Haddish, Martin Short, Tilda Swinton, Daniel Radcliffe, and even the great Meryl Streep.
Stars even came to see the barista for their custom portrait while they were in town for TIFF this past September, including Viola Davis, Olivia Colman, Brendan Fraser, Seth Rogen, and Jessica Chastain.
In an interview with The Toronto Star, Brian said that he had lived in Toronto for eight years leading up to the pandemic, and credits his time in the city for his artistic career.
“I feel like the only reason it happened in my life is because I was in Toronto,” he said. “I feel like Barista Brian belongs to Toronto in a lot of ways.”
Originally from New Brunswick, Brian arrived in Toronto with just $1,800 and “no plans.”
He began bartending at Trattoria Mercatto at the Eaton Centre, where he learned how to make lattes.
Eventually, he began experimenting with food colouring to make semi-permanent portraits on the foamy surface using a stir stick or bamboo as a brush, he told The Star.
His career quickly took off from there. He gained an impressive social media following and was featured in a local Toronto outlet, which led to more media attention in Canada and beyond, as well as opportunities to paint latte portraits for celebs.
The latte artist to the stars seems to have a promising career ahead of him. Toronto loves you, Barista Brian!
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