November 2012 - Willard Wigan

Willard Wigan is a sculptor from Birmingham who was in Basel in November 2012 to show some of his art. The unique thing about his sculptures is that they are so small that you can only see them under a microscope. His sculptures are usually placed inside the eye of a needle or on the head of a pin. Wigan’s motivation for working on such a microscopic level came from his childhood: he had undiagnosed dyslexia and was ridiculed in school by his teachers for not learning to read. The sculpting became an escape from school – and he wanted to show the world that even the smallest thing can be awe-inspiring.

The Soul Works Foundation is organising an exhibition with miniature art in May 2013 in the Münster cathedral, so you’ll have a chance to see Wigan’s astonishing microscopic sculptures in Basel.