In sculpture class, the annual piggy-bank project is usually a simple introduction to clay, but this year it took on a new spark of personality. While students shaped their pigs, using the pinch pot method, one student’s decision to add a Labubu toy turned a familiar tradition into something completely unexpected.
The piggy-bank assignment has been part of sculpture for longer than most of the students have been in school. Students shape clay into the familiar rounded form, attach legs, add personality, and spend weeks crafting something that reflects their interests. However, even traditions hold surprises. This year, one pig stood out: not because it was better or bigger, but because sophomore Camilo Morales strapped a Labubu toy to the side of his pig, sparking curiosity and laughter across the room.
The project itself has a history embedded in the school. Sculpture teacher Sharon Biemond did not come up with the idea herself, one of her former students did. The assignment began more than a decade ago, after a suggestion from
the son of the school’s original principal, Tanner Serrano. She remembered how it all started: “He suggested the project and thought everyone would have fun doing it.” Since then, the pigs have become a tradition that every sculpture student anticipates.
Morales sculpted a theatrical pig because he wanted to show being expressive is not about being dramatic or exaggeration, it is about finding joy in creating something lively and full of personality. He shows how it can be “just a fun thing to find comfort in.”
As a part of the project, each student was asked to add elements that represent them or elements that they are fond of. When tasked with this, Morales took time into sculpting his pieces. His pig sported glasses, a tiny matcha drink, a watch and most unique of all: a labubu.
The idea did not come from nowhere. Camilo said his inspiration came from scrolling on TikTok and seeing memes, which shaped both the personality and the appearance of his pig. But behind the humor, he found meaning in embracing something “quirky,” something that might seem silly but still spotlight his creativity.
Sophomore Caitlin Sinclair chose to do a magician pig. She added a deck of cards, a magic wand, earrings, and a nice top hat on top. She explained that the project pushed students to think beyond basic beginner pieces. “It forces people to go more out of their creativity than like a mug or something more simple would do,” she said.
Senior Sydney Beard, who created a detective themed pig, complete with mystery- inspired details. She found the pig challenging at first, especially when pieces broke or needed to be rebuilt, but she stuck with it. “Things break, but you just gotta keep doing it,” she said. A sentiment every student in the class could relate to. No matter the theme, the fragile legs proved to be equally challenging.
For Biemond, who has run the project for more than a decade, the joy is watching each student’s vision take shape. She sees every pig as a reflection of the student who made it. “I love seeing the original design elements that they add when they come up with something very unique or different,” she said. Every pig that was made in that class had a story, it reveals something personal about the creator and how little bits of clay can represent a person’s whole life.
