Farm Sanctuary SA is offering a R1.2m reward for the safe return of its painting sheep Baanksy.

Baanksy, the ‘Ram-brandt’ of animal art, who is following in the footsteps of the sanctuary’s famous Pigcasso, was last seen on February 1.

The sheep did not arrive at the art studio on February 2, when he was due to work on a painting that had been commissioned by a family visiting from the UK. He was reported missing to the police, and a case has been opened.

Watch Baanksy paint:

 

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Farm Sanctuary SA, based in Franschhoek, is renowned for Pigcasso, a painting pig who was saved in 2016 from ‘an intensive factory farm’ just weeks before she would have been sent to a slaughterhouse.

She became a renowned animal artist.

“From the moment the piglet arrived, she ate or destroyed everything except a paintbrush that had been left in her stall,” says Joanne Lefson on Pigcasso’s website.

Lefson, intrigued by the pig’s interest in the brush, decided to see if she wanted to paint. She modified the brush to fit the pig’s mouth, and it didn’t take long before Pigcasso was creating art across a canvas that Lefson placed in her stall.

By 2017, news of Pigcasso’s artistic talent was becoming known.

“In January 2018, Pigcasso became the first animal artist to host a solo art exhibition – held at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.”

Over the years, Pigcasso hosted solo exhibitions around the world, including in Amsterdam, Germany, France, China and the UK.

In 2021, Pigcasso made international headlines when she sold Wild and Free to a German buyer for £20 000. This was an official world record for the highest-selling artwork painted by an animal. The previous record was held by a Chimpanzee called Congo, whose three artworks sold for £14 000 in 2005.

Pigcasso died last year from chronic rheumatoid arthritis after her condition rapidly deteriorated in September 2023. By early October, both of her back legs had become lame due to the calcification of her lower spine, aggravated by chronic rheumatoid arthritis.

She was almost eight years old at the time of her death.

Pigcasso’s student

Lefson says many people wondered what would happen if another pig were to watch Pigcasso paint.

These questions were often discussed in front of a rescued lamb who often hung around and watched Pigcasso paint.

She says she could never have imagined a sheep would be able to watch, articulate Pigcasso’s artistic style and ultimately pick up the brush when given a ‘random’ opportunity two years later.

Baanksy was brought to the sanctuary in 2022 when he was one week old.

“He had been picked up on the side of a road in the Karoo, which is known for its intensive sheep farms. Miraculously, the emancipated sheep survived. During his rehabilitation, the lamb would hang out at the back of the barn where Pigcasso would paint – and he would curiously watch her, even posing in front of her art once it was complete.”

One day, while Baanksy was being sheared, one of Pigcasso’s brushes was used to clean the hair from the shears.

“When the sheep saw the brush, he walked up to it, took it in his mouth and tried to paint against the barn stall. No one could believe their eyes! Unbelievably, the sheep had learnt to paint by watching Pigcasso when he was just a little lamb!”

Baanksy thus became Pigcasso’s prodigy, the ‘Ram-brandt’ who loves to paint.

“It’s almost impossible to get him to stop painting once he gets going. He even signs the artwork with his nose-tip when he’s done – just like Pigcasso.”

Anyone who has information relating to Baanksy’s disappearance can email director@farmsanctuarysay.org.

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