Proof That Great Things Can Come In Small Sizes

Willard Wigan

Perhaps the most impressive microsculptor of all is Willard Wigan, an English artist who started working with miniature art at the tender age of five. Back then, he simply made houses for his ants, but since then he has created everything from Michelangelo’s David to Buzz Aldrin and Betty Boop in miniature.

Wigan created this Buzz Aldrin astronaut statue to mark the 40 year anniversary of the Moon landing. Source: The Washington Post

The Obama family inside the eye of a needle. Source: The Telegraph

Remarkably, Wigan creates all of these tiny statues entirely with his hands, no 3D printing or laser technology involved. How is this possible? According to Wigan, he enters a meditative state when sculpting to lower his heart rate and minimize involuntary hand movements. He also prefers to work at night since the reverberation from traffic is enough to disrupt his sculpting.

Wigan creates both classical and pop culture pieces. Source: Prezi

Henry VIII and his six wives with their heads still attached. Source: The Telegraph

Wigan relies on a variety of materials to create his art, including nylon, dust fibers, spider web, gold and grains of sand. He typically uses surgical blades as well as custom-made tools to do the sculpting. An average sculpture takes around eight weeks to complete and costs up to $150,000. Many famous people have collected his art including Prince Charles, Mike Tyson and Elton John. In 2007 Wigan received an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II.

The Taj Mahal on the end of a pin. Source: Inkult Magazine

Camels made out of grains of san. Source: Willard Wigan

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