Willard Wigan: Tiny World

A breathtaking journey into the impossible world of microscopic sculpture 

Enter the world beyond human sight!  You won’t believe your eyes.. 

Willard Wigan: Tiny World opens on 10 July 2026. 

Created by internationally celebrated micro sculptor Dr Willard Wigan MBE, the exhibition reveals a lifetime devoted to creating artworks so small they exist beyond ordinary human perception — masterpieces sculpted on grains of sand, within the eye of a needle, in a hollowed out human hair and even specks of dust. 

Born from childhood struggles with autism and exclusion, Wigan discovered a world where silence, precision, and imagination became his refuge. As a young boy misunderstood in traditional education, he began creating tiny houses, furniture and even a palace for a Queen Ant, entering what would become a magical and deeply personal universe of microscopic art. The exhibition tells a story of an artist who transformed adversity into creativity. 

Today, his astonishing works are recognised around the world for pushing the limits of human capability and artistic expression. 

Working between heartbeats to avoid the slightest movement, Wigan slows and controls his breathing while sculpting under a microscope. Using tools made from needles, surgical blades, crushed diamond and even a single eyelash to apply paint, he creates sculptures many believe should be impossible.  

Willard Wigan: Tiny World offers visitors a rare opportunity to encounter these remarkable creations up close and to discover the story behind the artist’s unique vision, resilience, and imagination. Dr Willard Wigan MBE will personally introduce visitors to his miniature universe through a series of talks and special appearances during the exhibition’s run from 10 July 2026 until 9 July 2027. 

Willard’s words ‘’After my visit to Broadway, I left the museum and picked up a bit of grit from the ground that was dark and looked like the background to a painting. When I got home I used a very fine needle, covered in diamond, to sculpt the head and shoulders of Elias Ashmole within a frame (the inventor of Science as we know it today and the individual from whom The Ashmolean takes its name). The tool is a piece of broken diamond, the shape of a bee sting. It works as a little jackhammer, slowly building the shape. The hardest part of any sculpture is the proportions. Static electricity plays havoc, leaving little dust particles in the way of my work! Once the carving is cleaned and ready, I add a tiny amount of paint. Once you have carved the chin you have to paint it, holding your breath, section by section across the sculpture very slowly, making sure you don’t squash it or breathe on it! To make it look like the gentleman in question, I carved away at the paint to add detail to the face – details smaller than 5 microns. After about 5 weeks it began to look like Elias Ashmole. Then he was ready for me to guild his frame with 24 carat gold. I added his 24 carat gold medallion, whilst again fighting with static electricity. The finished work is a very laborious process but something I am very proud of and can’t wait to introduce to the world.’’ 

More than an exhibition, Willard Wigan: Tiny World is an invitation to reconsider scale, patience, creativity, and the hidden beauty that exists beyond what we normally see.  Prepare to enter an exciting new world where the invisible becomes visible and where some of the greatest pieces of artwork are found in the tiniest of places!