Willard Wigan – model maker (light aircraft)

Biography

Willard Wigan was born in Birmingham in 1957 and still lives there but he produces most of his work these days, especially his micro-sculptures, in a quiet retreat in Jersey. This offers the peace and solitude which are essential for creating the smallest man-made works of art in the world, especially at night when there is supreme quiet. At times he may work for up to 22 hours without stopping to eat or sleep and occasionally without blinking for up to two hours. (This aspect of Willard’s work will be featured in more detail in the third series of Handmade.) At school, Willard experienced many problems as a dyslexic child and is completely self-taught. He is unable to read working drawings properly nor does he have any formal training in aerodynamics. Yet he is able intuitively to construct highly intricate and delicate objects. As Willard says, ‘I guess it can only be described as a gift, or maybe my brain has somehow compensated for my lack of ability in academic areas’. In addition to his reputation as a micro-sculptor, Willard has received commissions from numerous celebrities to create sculptures from tree trunks and finds it relaxing to work on a large scale or to create his microfilm aircraft after the stress of creating his micro-sculptures.