Sophie Ryder’s work includes human, animal and mythological figures, frequently melding forms to combine the attitudes and instincts of each.
?Ryder's techniques include the manipulation of wire, or the enlivening of her sculptures with unusual objects which are pressed into the surface to texture and accentuate the form. Anthropomorphic characters are used both to explore the human condition and as a metaphor for Ryder’s own feelings. Over several years she has evolved an ongoing narrative around the female/mother figure of the Lady Hare; a hybrid with the head of a hare, and its body modelled on Ryder’s own. She was born in London, England, in 1963. She studied combined arts at the Royal Academy of Arts1(981–84) where, while obtaining her diploma in painting, she was encouraged by fellow artists to develop her sculpture.