Oprah in the Eye of a Needle! Caribbean Heritage Organization Presents Micro-Sculptor Willard Wigan
LOS ANGELES – Willard Wigan has evolved as the creator of the world’s smallest sculptures. Made between heartbeats, his work fits in the eye of a needle or on a pinhead and can only be seen through a microscope.
Dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World, micro-sculptor Willard Wigan wants the world to know that one can be successful no matter what challenges one faces. Jeered and teased by teachers and fellow students as being stupid and dumb, Wigan’s dyslexia went undiagnosed most of his childhood. His parents urged him to find something that he was good at and encouraged him to pursue it. Like many with learning disabilities, he has surpassed all expectations.
The materials used to apply his craft are things you would find in everyday life like flecks of gold, grains of sand, particles of dust and nylon. To paint his sculptures, he uses hair off a fly’s back or one of his own eyelashes.
His Los Angeles exhibit starts June 11th at the DAC Gallery, 828 S. Main St. Los Angeles, CA, 213-627-7374. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Exceptional Children’s Foundation.
Pieces in the eye of a needle include: the Obama family, Henry the VIII and his six Wives, 9 camels, P. Diddy, Marilyn Monroe on a Diamond, Mickey Mouse, Alice in Wonderland, and Oprah.
In 2007, HH Prince Charles presented Wigan with the MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to the art.
His clients include Queen Elizabeth II, HH Prince Charles, Sir Elton John, and tennis great David Lloyd, to name a few.
Willard Wigan
Wigan will be honored along with actress Nia Long and director Frank E. Flowers at the Caribbean Heritage Salute to Hollywood & the Arts benefit in Los Angeles on June 27, 2009. The star-studded blue-carpet event will help support Camp Crescent, a camp for children with Sickle Cell Anemia. It will be held at UCLA Kerckhoff Plaza.
The US tour is promoted in association with the Institute of Caribbean Studies, DC.
