Pigcasso, a painter sow, has just sold a painting to a German buyer for the sum of 23,500 euros. The animal is the author of more than 400 works.
Its name is the contraction of “pig” (pig in English) and Picasso. The sow comes from an unusual journey since it comes from a slaughterhouse on a pig farm in South Africa.
It was Joanne Lefson, an artist, who saved the animal in 2016 before taking it with her to an animal shelter she founded in the small town of Franschloek. The refuge is called Farm Sanctuaire SA.
When she took in Pigcasso, Joanne Lefson aimed to show that animals are gifted with intelligence and creativity. A bet that turns out to be successful since Pigcasso painted more than 400 canvases, including Wild and Free which was bought by Peter Esser, a German buyer, on December 13th, only 72 hours after its presentation.
“I wanted Pigcasso to create something that had never been done before. A very large canvas, larger than life, which could call into question the intrinsic value of a work of art created by an animal, ”Joanne Lefson explained to The Daily Mag.
According to his mistress, Pigcasso even painted the portrait of Donald Trump. The canvas presents a huge yellow spot with some brown and orange lines.
Pigcasso, an artist above all
To practice her art, the sow grabs her brush in her mouth and frantically waves her head close to the canvas to paint. As his work progresses, shapes appear and everyone can see what they want.
The realization of the works of Pigcasso can take several weeks. The animal generally paints facing the sea or in the gardens of the refuge, where several blank canvases await it.
With these 400 paintings, Joanne Lefson decided to set up an art gallery dedicated to Pigcasso. This is called OINK and the works are hung along the palisades of the barn.
All the profits linked to the sale of the sow’s works are donated to the animal cause as well as to the maintenance of the refuge.
“The more money you can spend on animal welfare to educate humans about what they feel and perceive, the better. So I would say: Come on Pigcasso! May your paintings increase in value! ”Exclaimed Virginia Mackenny, professor at the University of Cape Town.