Happiful_May_2019

8 • happiful • May 2019

Rescue pig

becomes art

prodigy

A rescue pig has taken the art scene

by storm after picking up a brush and

creating a series of surrealist paintings.

The pig, aptly called Pigcasso, was

rescued from a slaughterhouse as

a piglet, and was taken back to a

sanctuary in the Western Cape region of

South Africa.

Pigcasso’s owner, Joanne Lefson, saw

that the sow seemed to want to destroy

everything in reach, apart from some

paint brushes that had been left in the

barn with her. So Joanne gave her some

paint to go with them, and it soon

became clear that she was dealing with

raw artistic talent.

The paintings, which are in beautiful,

bright pig-ments, have really gone

down a treat. Some of her pictures have

even sold for just over £3,000 – with

all proceeds going to animal welfare

projects – and one piece has recently

been made into a watch face for Swiss

watchmaker Swatch.

So if you ever doubted the intelligence

of pigs, consider Pigcasso a creative

lesson. And that’s the whole hog!

Writing | Kathryn Wheeler

ANIMALS

The Uplift

Pigcasso, the

surrealist painting

phenomenon – and

that’s not hogwash!