Sophie Ryder

Sophie Ryder was born in London in 1963. She studied at Kingston Polytechnic (1980-81) and the Royal Academy Schools, London (1981-84).

Individual animals and groups of them, fashioned in wire and in bronze, some realistic and some fantastical, have featured in Sophie Ryder's sculpture and colourful collages since her student days. Her technique of manipulating and winding metal wire to shape her creatures is physically demanding, but it endows her beasts with great dynamism. Human attributes may be found in some of her creatures, but in others innate animal qualities are underlined, particularly in some of the group and pair compositions.

Sophie Ryder and her husband have now started their own foundry next to her studio. This enables her to monitor the proceedings of her work at every stage, as she demands perfection in all aspects of her work. She is also a marvellous draftswoman equally at ease in two dimensions, her charcoals and pastels complement her sculpture admirably.

Since 2000 Sophie Ryder has exhibited widely in public exhibitions in the UK, Canada, the United States, Eire, Belgium and the Netherlands. In Europe the spectacular 10 foot wire Torsos was exhibited at The Hague in Holland, sited in an underground chamber. A major show of indoor and outdoor work went to the Veranneman Foundation in Belgium. Shows in North America included substantial exhibitions in Montreal and Vancouver and recently Sophie participated at the Arts Festival in Carlow, Ireland.