An artist from Birmingham who makes tiny sculptures which can fit into the eye of a needle has sold his collection for £11.2m to entrepreneur David Lloyd (Chris Evert-Lloyds ex hubby).Willard Wigan is known for his painstaking care, working between heartbeats to avoid hand tremors.
Now based in Jersey, he was awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Years Honours.
His work is normally only visible through a microscope and includes micro sculptures of Elvis, the Statue of Liberty and Snow White. Other works include a miniature model of Auguste Rodin's The Thinker - fitted on a pin head - and a model of The Last Supper, complete with 12 disciples.
He uses a tiny surgical blade to carve sculptures out of rice and sugar, and paints using an eyelash as a brush.
His 70-piece collection has sold for about £160,000 an item.
Mr Wigan, who has learning difficulties and cannot read or write, says that as a child he used his art to express himself. "Being a child I used to start making houses for ants because I thought they needed somewhere to live. I lived in a fantasy world and I thought they needed shoes and hats."
Former tennis star Mr Lloyd has captained the British Davis Cup team and became a leading figure in the Lawn Tennis Association. He has sold his branded leisure club businesses for more than £300m and it was at his tennis schools that Tim Henman learned his trade.
The remainder of Mr Wigan's collection is to go on show at a gallery in Birmingham's Mailbox.
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