If you can teach yourself to focus, you'll find more hours in the day. Rei welcomes Andrew Zolty, an acclaimed data and kinetic artist professional known as BREAKFAST, for a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. They discuss BREAKFAST’s transition from commercial design to full-time artistry and how he’s built a business around kinetic sculptures using real-time data. BREAKFAST shares insights into marketing, client interactions, the challenges of large-scale installations, and candid advice on why focus matters in the creative industry.

Andrew Zolty, known professionally as BREAKFAST, is a data and kinetic artist whose work centers on transforming real-time data from the natural world into digitally controlled kinetic artworks that tell stories. From the waves crashing on the beaches of Normandy to solar activity on the sun’s surface, BREAKFAST’s pieces draw this data from the web and transform these fluctuations into mesmerizing, undulating sculptures, creating a profound connection between the viewer and distant places.

BREAKFAST's passion for art, electronics, and computers, which began in his childhood, has led him to merge these elements throughout his adult life. Developing skills in art, coding, interaction design, and mechanical and electrical engineering, he became fascinated by the vast streams of data constantly generated around us. This fascination drives his work, as he finds ways to translate data into physical experiences that tell stories of real-time events.

Over the past 15 years, BREAKFAST has grown his studio into an engineering powerhouse, allowing for the complete in-house production of his works. This capability pushes creativity and quality to their furthest limits, with ideas inspiring engineering and engineering enabling new artistic expressions.

Timestamps:

• 0:03 Pursuing a Creative Life at the Intersection of Art and Technology
• 2:21 The Art of Marketing and Identity in the Art World
• 7:39 Creating Wow Art Pieces with Real-Time Data and Storytelling
• 14:57 Navigating Artistic Collaborations and Maintaining Creative Ownership
• 17:04 Creating Kinetic Sculptures for Cruise Ships and Outdoor Spaces
• 23:39 The Power of Focus in Creative Pursuits

Episode References:

• BREAKFAST | Instagram
• BREAKFAST | Website
• Rei Inamoto | LinkedIn
• Rei Inamoto | Instagram
• I&CO | Corporate Site

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Using unique mediums can help differentiate an artist's work, giving it both distinctive appeal and commercial viability. Rei sits down with Andrew Zolty, an acclaimed data and kinetic artist widely recognized by his professional name, BREAKFAST. The episode delves into BREAFAST's career journey from being a commercial developer to a full-time kinetic artist. Known for integrating real-time data and engineering into his artworks, BREAKFAST shares invaluable insights into the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of forging a unique path in the art world.

Andrew Zolty, known professionally as BREAKFAST, is a data and kinetic artist whose work centers on transforming real-time data from the natural world into digitally controlled kinetic artworks that tell stories. From the waves crashing on the beaches of Normandy to solar activity on the sun’s surface, BREAKFAST’s pieces draw this data from the web and transform these fluctuations into mesmerizing, undulating sculptures, creating a profound connection between the viewer and distant places.

BREAKFAST's passion for art, electronics, and computers, which began in his childhood, has led him to merge these elements throughout his adult life. Developing skills in art, coding, interaction design, and mechanical and electrical engineering, he became fascinated by the vast streams of data constantly generated around us. This fascination drives his work, as he finds ways to translate data into physical experiences that tell stories of real-time events.

Over the past 15 years, BREAKFAST has grown his studio into an engineering powerhouse, allowing for the complete in-house production of his works. This capability pushes creativity and quality to their furthest limits, with ideas inspiring engineering and engineering enabling new artistic expressions.

Timestamps:

• 0:03 Creative Evolution: From Commercial Designer to Kinetic Artist
• 6:17 From Digital Concepts to Art: A Creative Evolution
• 11:43 Creating AI Experiences for Bikes and Blimps
• 16:05 Embracing Career Transitions Through Unique Skill Combinations
• 20:48 Balancing Artistry and Business in Creative Ventures
• 27:12 The Evolution of Kinetic Art and Creative Mediums

Episode References:

• BREAKFAST | Instagram
• BREAKFAST | Website
• Rei Inamoto | LinkedIn
• Rei Inamoto | Instagram
• I&CO | Corporate Site

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alternative career choices? Next travel destinations? Favorite food? We welcome back Merlee Jayme for a fun round of lightning questions.

2025 ADFEST LOTUS LEGEND Merlee has dedicated her life to pushing creativity forward.

She is the Chairmom® and founder of The Misfits Camp, the first-ever safe space in the world to assess and upskill neurodivergent and deaf creative adults and bridge them to the creative industry.

And just this year, she founded Jayme Headquarters, a social enterprise creative agency that provides actual workplace experience for divergent creatives.

Before this, Merlee was an advertising veteran and a creative leader. She was Dentsu

McGarryBowen Global co-president and led Dentsu International APAC as Chief Creative Officer to greater heights by winning the Adfest Network of the Year 2020 and 2022, Spikes Network of the Year 2021, Cannes Lions Regional Network of the Year 2021, and AD STARS Network of the Year 2021.

Her work pushes Insights and innovation and inspires creative collaboration.

Having received major awards, including the Philippines’ only Cannes Lions Grand Prix, she was one of the eight women in the world’s top 100 Chief Creative Officers according to the 2019 Drum Global Ranking.

The first Filipino to be named Creative of the Year in Southeast Asia by Campaign Asia, she was also recognized with the 4As of the Philippines Lifetime Achievement Awardee in 2023, the Hall of Fame Award by the 4As Creative Guild, The New York Festivals Creative Achievement Award, and the CEO of the Year by the International Association of Business Communicators, the Asian Marketing Federation Woman Marketer of the Year 2019, and the Campaign Asia’s Women Leading Change Women’s Advancement Champion for her creative work for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 2024.

Merlee is one of CNN’s Leading Women, the author/illustrator of four creative books, the mom of four creative women, and an inspiration for breaking the glass ceiling in this mad men’s world.

Episode References:

• Merlee Jayme | TikTok
• Merlee Jayme | LinkedIn
• Merlee Jayme | Facebook
• Rei Inamoto | Instagram
• Rei Inamoto | X
• I&CO | Corporate Site

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.