Grab a magnifying glass and check out Karyn Wiggill's miniature marvels at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair

If you’re an aspiring art collector, grab a magnifying glass and head to this year’s Investec Cape Town Art Fair to scout out There’s an art to buying art, a collection of 52 tiny drawings, with magnificent detail, by award-winning artist Karyn Wiggill.

Each of these miniature marvels fits into a 1.6cm red dot. The idea behind the collection, which was created in partnership with Investec, is that the minute artworks should communicate interesting facts about the art world.

As Wiggill describes it: “Each of the miniatures are drawn to represent a red dot (the international sold symbol). Each image is accompanied by an interesting fact about investing in art, from what catches your eye to following your heart, to realising growth potential.”

Each work of art has been created on hot-pressed, acid-free paper using an extremely fine paint brush and watercolours. Wiggill works under a special daylight fluorescent light and makes use of a powerful magnifier.

The Johannesburg-based artist specialises in miniature art, something she describes as a process of capturing all the details, not simply a small painting.

She says: “Each drawing takes approximately nine hours, but this depends on the subject and the amount of detail.”

She’s currently busy with her next project, creating a body of work for upcoming exhibitions in the United Kingdom and the United States. She says South African miniature artists are gaining a reputation in these countries, where the miniature art market is historically rich.

Wiggill has won numerous awards locally and internationally, and has had her work featured in international publications.

•'There’s an art to buying art'  is on show at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, which is taking place from February 15 to 17 at the International Convention Centre.