Sophie Ryder

Place: London

Born: 1963

Biography:

Sophie Ryder is a British sculptor, painter, printmaker and collagist known for her large wire structures. She was born in London, England, in 1963. Ryder studied combined arts at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1981 to 1984, focusing initially on painting. She changed her focus when the Royal Academy's director, Sir Hugh Casson, encouraged her skills development in sculpture. Ryder's sculptures sometimes represent mystical creatures, animals and hybrid beings created in assemblages of materials such as sawdust, wet plaster, obsolescent machinery, and torn scraps of paper. Her works are exhibited in many public places, including Canary Wharf in London and the Vancouver Biennale.