Willard Wigan, Micro Sculptures 16 January – 9 April 2010
Willard Wigan, MBE, the British artist who famously makes sculptures that fit in the eye of a needle returns to Liverpool’s Hard Days Night Hotel in January 2010 after a triumphant US tour that has seen his work being exhibited in Los Angeles, Hollywood, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas and currently in Washington DC.
Willard, who now lives in Birmingham, was last in Liverpool exhibiting his collection at the Beatles inspired 4 star hotel during the city’s year as European Capital of Culture where he unveiled a special commission for 2008.
His return to Liverpool in 2010 comes on the back of his success in America that has seen his fame reach new heights. Being the first artist to appear on the front pages of the Wall Street, Journal, and having made over 20 television appearances in the US since June – including the most notable – ‘The Tonight Show’. Owners of his sculptures now include Prince Charles, Mike Tyson, Sir Elton John, Sir Philip Green and Simon Cowell. His works now range from $35,000 to $125,000.
Some pieces are invisible to the naked eye, being only as visible through the lens of a microscope. Wigan uses a tiny surgical blade and a shard of diamond as tools to create his sculptures from materials such as grains of sand, dust fibres, gold, platinum and spider’s cobweb. Each sculpture takes between 6 weeks to 3 months to create. The work process and is both mentally and physically demanding on the artist. Wigan has to control his breathing and relax his body to ensure he keeps a steady hand while creating the works, working between his heartbeat and pulse.
