After a 14-year break, AppArt’s annual Easter art exhibition and sculpture trail is returning to where it all began at King Edward’s School in Witley.

The event has grown into one of the major art exhibitions in south-east England, with full-time professionals and members of local art groups from across the area exhibiting an eclectic mix of work, offering something for everyone to experience and enjoy.

Farnham sculptor Nicola Godden is exhibiting and will open AppArt 2026 on Good Friday, April 3.

Nicola has created major works for nearly 40 years, working in clay or plaster for bronze casting, and is well known for her Icarus sculptures, which first appeared at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

She has always been fascinated by the Icarus myth, finding him “an inspiring figure of daring, youthful courage and optimism”.

Nicola has created numerous other Icarus sculptures, including Icarus Rising - the largest work she has made, standing around 16ft tall.

Her work is nearly always based on the human figure, whether in an abstract or more realistic form, because Nicola has always been fascinated by the human form for the emotions it conveys.

She said: “Ideas for a new sculpture can come from anywhere or anything. In the past, I have been inspired by the pieces of flint and bone I found while walking.

“My Bone Form series of figures began when I picked up a piece of bone that I thought was beautiful and resembled a female torso. I like to see a human form in the stone or bone I find.”

Nicola hopes that her works touch the emotions of people who see them.

She said: “The essence of the subject is what connects with the viewer and delights or moves them. It is immensely satisfying to know that others are reacting in ways that uplift or deeply move them.

“Something beautiful can create such intense pleasure in those who see it. I want to create artwork that has an emotional effect on the viewer and is also something they want to touch, which is part of the beauty of a three-dimensional form.”

That three-dimensional effect means the back of the sculpture is as important as the front to Nicola.

She said: “I do not want my work to be understood solely from one perspective. The idea with each of my works is that the viewer is drawn around the piece. I create movement in each piece, sometimes through twists and turns or through balance and angles.

“As the viewer walks around the sculpture, each view is different, offering surprises and unexpected interest. With the Olympic Icarus - Icarus I - I placed a feather at the back of the base so that people would get a little surprise when they saw it lying there.”

Nicola’s work can be found in Sculpture By The Lakes, Cotswold Sculpture Park, Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden and the Sculpture Park in Churt. She has also exhibited in New York galleries.

AppArt’s free exhibition will be open daily from April 4 to 18 between 10am and 4pm.