What if ceramics could have personalities of their own? That’s the idea Biggie Marcel, the Indonesian artist behind Biggie Projects, brings to life in her studio. As her website puts it, the studio is a humble, one-woman operation making functional art with plenty of character. What began as a fun side hustle has since grown into a full-time career, with pieces modeled on everyone from her next-door neighbor to Justin and Hailey Bieber.
The real charm lies in how much expression she manages to squeeze into such small, practical objects. With just a few carefully placed details, she turns a plain cup into a tiny portrait, the kind you’d happily say good morning to before your first sip.
Below, you’ll find a selection of her work, from cups inspired by SZA and Gigi Hadid to family portraits and pieces made especially for babies. Stick around for the story behind one of her most memorable projects, too.
More info: Instagram | biggieprojects.com
#1 Justin And Hailey Bieber
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Biggie shared with Bored Panda that her ceramics journey began in 2020, after graduating from university in Australia and moving back to Indonesia. At the time, she wasn’t quite sure what direction to take next, so she decided to try something new. As she shared: “Honestly, I was feeling a bit lost at the time. I didn’t really know what to do next, so I thought I’d pick up a new hobby. Didn’t think much of it at first, but I got hooked immediately and ended up building a little home ceramics studio just a week after my very first pottery class,” she recalled.
#2 Sza
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#3 Erling Haaland
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Today, she describes her artistic style as whimsical, playful, and unserious, something that shines through in the expressive faces and quirky details of her creations. But her work also has a thoughtful side, especially in custom orders.
Biggie shares the creative process behind her pieces on Instagram, giving viewers a glimpse into the stories that inspire each creation. This is especially meaningful when making commissioned mugs, where her goal is to capture more than just someone’s physical appearance.
#4 Kimmy And Colli
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#5 Olivia Rodrigo
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As she explained: “For customer commissions, I mostly take inspiration from the stories and photos they provide. I always ask them to tell me a little about the person I’m making the mug for, like their personality, little quirks, what they’re like in person, and sometimes their background story too, only if they’re comfortable sharing! I think those details are really important because even though my style is very unserious and cartoony, I still want to capture the person’s essence rather than just caricaturing their face.”
#6 S & K
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#7 Kristina, Ziggy, Lavon, And Cash
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While she’s best known for her signature face mugs, Biggie’s creativity doesn’t stop there. Working exclusively with ceramics, she also makes matcha bowls and sets, vases, planters, and plenty of other functional pieces that bring a little extra character into everyday life. After all, who says your morning coffee mug can’t have as much personality as the person drinking from it?
#8 Personal Avatar Mug Collection
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#9 Zara Larsson (Front)
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#10 Unnamed 01
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#11 Heated Rivarly Characters
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#12 Baby Size Mug
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#13 Zendaya-Inspired (Vase)
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#14 Biggies’ Favorite Piece
When asked about her favorite ceramic piece, Biggie replied:
“I think it would be the first two mugs I made for my Get Mugged series, which were actually mugs of me and my boyfriend for our 7th anniversary! I made them just for fun and didn’t expect anything out of it, but people ended up really loving them and started asking if I could make mugs of them too. So that’s basically how I accidentally started mugging people for a living.”
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#15 Tamara Dai
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#16 Giant Clementine (Planter)
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#17 Get Mugged By Biggie 3
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#18 Caroline And Wybie
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#19 Sokka (From Avatar)
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#20 *in Nikki’s Voice* No No No No No
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#21 Caitlin And Jennifer
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#22 Dave And Isabella
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#23 Gentle Monster Pr Box
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#24 Crisp
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#25 Ashley And Diana
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#26 Wirt
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#27 Kevin & Girlfriend
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#28 Fresh Apple
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#29 Patricia & Boyfriend
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#30 Mug Buddy
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#31 Smiski-Inspired (Matcha Bowl)
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#32 Tinee And Gough
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#33 Gigi Hadid
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#34 Zara Larsson (Back)
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#35 Winter-Inspired (Matcha Set)
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