Willard Wigan, an artist of the microscopic world, is on a quest for the bigger picture

Willard Wigan (below) creates sculptures so tiny that they can easily slip through the eye of a needle or sit on the head of a pin. Although he works in miniature, the sculptor wants to send a message that's larger than life.

'It's the small things that make the big things happen,' Wigan said. 'There are so many things that we cannot see but exist. And when you do see them, they become the biggest thing you've ever seen.'

The artist was brought to town by TSL Jewellery for his debut micro-sculpture exhibition in Hong Kong at Langham Place's atrium. The three-day exhibition opens on Friday and is Wigan's latest collaboration with the jeweller. It will feature Estrella diamonds and other pieces such as 'Ultimate Fighting Championships' - within the needle eye Wigan created for eight fighters with clearly defined six-pack abs (above).

Wigan's works are just about visible to the naked eye and are best viewed under a microscope magnified 500 times. The process of making such nano-sculptures is painstaking, he says. 'It's a nightmare when you work on them and it's a dream [come true] when you finish.'

Wigan, who was born in Birmingham, England, started creating small things when he was five years old. He had reading problems at school and his teacher called him a failure. So he skipped school and started building homes for the ants in his garden. 'My mum was fascinated by what I did and encouraged me to concentrate on the craft. She told me: 'The smaller you can build, the bigger your name will be.' But she never thought it was small enough.'