Really Small Things

TEDGlobal speaker Willard Wigan’s micro-sculptures can only be seen through a microscope.

Willard Wigan’s sculptures are small. Really small. Some are only three times the size of a single blood cell and can only be seen through a microscope. Each piece commonly fits within the eye of a needle or sits on a pin head. To create the art, Wigan enters a meditative state in which his heartbeat is slowed, allowing him to reduce hand tremors and sculpt between pulse beats. Even reverberation caused by outside traffic can affect Wigan’s work. This causes him to retreat to the peace and quiet of the countryside or to work through the night when there is minimal disruption.

Willard Wigan is a micro-sculptor who creates figures small enough to fit on the head of a pin. He spoke at TEDGlobal.