From potential pork chop to lauded abstract painter.

By Jessie Schiewe

Some of Pigcasso’s paintings have sold for more than $2,000. (Photo: Pigcasso)

The newest celebrity in the art world is only 3-years-old.

And she’s a pig.

Named Pigcasso, the 450-pound artist is a skilled abstract expressionist painter whose works resemble that of Jackson Pollock. She uses her mouth to hold her paintbrushes and her entire head to make brush strokes, and apparently oinks a lot throughout the whole process.

Pigcasso — who was saved from a slaughterhouse in 2016 by the South African rescue group Farm Sanctuary S.A. — discovered she loved art at a young age. When first brought to the shelter as a 4-week-old piglet, she was given numerous toys to keep her entertained. It was the paintbrushes that seemed to her attract her the most, namely because they were the only things she didn’t eat. She was then given a canvas and some paints, and to the rescue organization’s delight, she knew exactly what to do with them.

She now has her own “studio” where she can paint whenever she wants, and to keep her motivated while working, she gets to munch on snacks from a picnic basket loaded with her favorite treats, like caramel popcorn and syrupy peaches.

For the last few years, Pigcasso has been honing her painting skills, creating works of art that range from colorful, rainbow-esque canvases to more austere, stripped-down, and monochromatic pieces. Her art is sold online, and most of her current stock has already been bought up by fans, with some grossing more than $2,000. Earlier this year, she was also featured in an art exhibit in Cape Town called “Oink” that will travel to a handful of European cities next summer.

But while Pigcasso might be the first and only non-human to have her an art exhibit, she’s far from the only animal with an interest in painting. Elephants, sea lions, and penguins have also shown that they, too, posses artistic skills.