A renowned British miniature sculpture artist has successfully created ultra-tiny sculptures of three kings and placed them inside the eye of a pin. (Paul Ward Photography via Willard Wigan)
[The Epoch Times, December 25, 2023](English Epoch Times reporterLouise ChambersReport/Compiled by Zhang Yufei) Recently, an autistic British artist successfully made ultra-tiny sculptures of three kings and placed them in the eye of a small needle to celebrate the “Christmas celebration” Hope, light and love” spirit.
Artist Willard Wigan MBE, 66, from the West Midlands, England, was taunted by teachers and classmates at school for being unable to read or write, but was not diagnosed until he was 50 Have autism. As a child, he transformed his dissatisfaction with the school system and fascination with patterns in nature into a passion for artistic creation; as an adult, he became a world-renowned miniature sculpture artist, inspiring people with his meticulously crafted hand-made sculptures. Millions of people around the world are taking a closer look at the world around them.
Miniature sculpture “Three Little Kings”. (Paul Ward Photography via Willard Wigan)
His latest sculpture, The Three Little Kings, took four and a half weeks to complete, working up to 16 hours a day. The kings and the camels they ride are carved from tiny fragments of nylon, the star in front of them is made from tiny fragments of glittering beads, and the crown is made from 24K gold.
“I believe in the existence of God,” Willard told The Epoch Times. “God represents hope, light and love, and God will bless people. So I thought, ‘I want to create a work to express my love for God. of gratitude.’ That’s why I put three kings on that needle.”
“It’s extremely difficult to do this work because there’s no joy in the process of creating it. It only gives me pleasure when it’s done, or when someone else admires it. It gets all kinds of surprised looks, Because they couldn’t believe that sculptures could be so incredibly small.”
Miniature sculpture “Three Little Kings”. (Paul Ward Photography via Willard Wigan)Built-in micro-carving of the work “Three Little Kings”. (Paul Ward Photography via Willard Wigan)
Once the three kings’ camels were carved, Willard placed tiny pieces of magnets at their feet, then applied lacquer (which acted as an adhesive) before affixing them inside the eyes of needles. During the process, he glued one of his eyelashes to the tip of an acupuncture needle and used it as a brush to paint the sculpture.
“Sometimes you get tired and feel like you’ve fallen asleep,” he said. “One time I fell asleep on the microscope. The crown on the king’s head was the hardest part.”
The tiny precision tools Willard uses are specially made. Using a Dremel high-speed electric grinder with a fine grinding wheel, he ground pearl drill bits purchased from a local jewelry supplier into microblades; he also sharpened and flattened an acupuncture needle, then bent it. In the shape of a “claw”, it can be used to pick up or grasp small objects such as nylon.
Artist Willard Wiegand is a Guinness World Record holder and was honored by the British royal family in 2007 for his contribution to art. (Paul Ward Photography via Willard Wigan)
Before he starts working, he does breathing exercises because he needs to sculpt between breaths.
“You have to slow down your breathing,” Willard said. “You have to operate between each heartbeat. It’s like trying to stick a pin into a bubble without it popping.”
Although Willard’s work has sparked a strong response from the public, and he was even invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen after carving a miniature crown, the artist never seemed satisfied with his finished work, saying: ” I’m always improving, but I always tell myself I can do better.”
Miniature sculpture “The Last Supper”. (Paul Ward Photography via Willard Wigan)Miniature sculpture “14 Camels”. (Paul Ward Photography via Willard Wigan)
Since starting his career as a professional artist, Willard has learned an important life lesson: he wouldn’t be who he is today if he hadn’t developed autism.
He hopes anyone else with a learning difference can draw inspiration from his achievements and know they are capable of doing the same. To parents, he advises: “If you have a child with autism, encourage them because once you tell someone they’re great at what they do, it motivates them.”
Willard is currently working on the exhibition Disappearing World, which showcases a series of miniature sculptures of endangered animals on display across the UK.he is still thereInstagramShare his work on.
Miniature sculpture “Santa Claus”. (Paul Ward Photography via Willard Wigan)Miniature sculpture “Fairy Mushroom”. (Paul Ward Photography via Willard Wigan)
Editor in charge: Han Yu#
