Less than two weeks remain to see the major exhibition by internationally-acclaimed artist Sophie Ryder at The Lightbox in Woking.

Sophie’s work is mainly focused on mythical creatures. Her most known characters are the Ladyhare, combining a long-eared hare’s head with a female human body, and a bull-headed Minotaur, reimagined beyond Greek mythology.

Visitors to RHS Garden, Wisley, this year will have seen striking examples of her sculptures, especially featuring the Ladyhare, whose body, the artist says, is modelled on her own.

The solo exhibition at the Lightbox is titled All of Us and comprises more than 50 of her works spanning 30 years, installed throughout the building.

Visitors can step into Sophie’s imaginary world of mystical beings. The exhibition brings together the artist’s signature grand-scale sculpture alongside works on paper, wire works and mosaics showcasing the breadth of her practice. 

Her unique cast of characters are described as “the means through which she describes her life, relationships and a universal human experience”.

Sophie said: “When The Lightbox invited me to exhibit a few years ago, the first thing I liked was the name: 'Lightbox'. Then I visited the gallery and was amazed by the incredible scale and feel of the space. I feel very lucky to have been invited to showcase my work here.

“This show has a mix of work spanning half of my life. As you will see, I like to try my hand at everything. Any material I can lay my hands on, I will give it a go. 

“Sometimes, I go through months with that material and then I take a break for a few years. Every material is as important to me, but I suppose the wire is what I have been using the longest, as I started as a child.”

Why is the exhibition called All of Us? She explained: “The title came to me as I wanted to express the fact my work is universal and shows all my characters from human to animal and everyone in between. 

“My titles are rather obvious because I don’t necessarily want to dictate to people the story behind the work so they can invent their own narrative. We all have our own stories.”

Sarah Brown, director of The Lightbox, said: “The Lightbox has a long-standing relationship with Sophie’s work, as a group of her sculptures feature in both The Joan Hurst Collection and in The Ingram Collection. To have The Lightbox alive with this major solo exhibition is fantastic.

“To celebrate the milestones these exhibitions mark, we are very excited to have released a limited-edition Sophie Ryder print, exclusive to The Lightbox. The print is the lead image for the show, full of creative energy, vivid colour and the iconic characters of Sophie’s work.”

All of Us is open until Sunday, September 10. Entry is through a £9.50 day pass, and free for Lightbox members and under-18s. No pre-booking is required. The Lightbox is open on Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10.30am to 5pm and on Sundays from 11am to 4pm. It is closed on Mondays.

For more information, visit www.thelightbox.org.uk