The Saddest Show on Earth

Sophie Green’s latest solo show, The Saddest Show on Earth, which is showcasing her newest collection of work, is running from 18-30 March 2025 at The Vaults, London.

Sophie Green at The Saddest Show on Earth

Green’s newest body of work, Commodities, explores the commodification and exploitation of the natural world and wildlife. Paintings in the collection include a circus elephant, perched miserably on a pedestal with ‘The Saddest Show on Earth’ emblazoned on its jarring red headdress.

Sophie Green’s ‘Temperance’, ‘Apathy’ & ‘Inferno’ at ‘The Saddest Show on Earth’

The collection also includes a depressed orangutan, a cheetah turning away from the viewer, an apathetic snow leopard and a cheetah sat in contemplation, much like Rodin’s ‘Le Penseur’.

Drawing inspiration from Danté’s divine comedy, Rodin and even haute couture, Green is donating a portion of the profits from the collection to conservation causes.

Sophie Green’s ‘Inferno’, ‘Apathy’ & ‘Rumination’ at ‘The Saddest Show on Earth’

The Saddest Show on Earth exhibition is set in the haunting vaults underneath Waterloo Station in London, with the artwork hung on striking red walls, much like a circus. Green stated that she wanted the exhibition to serve as a kind of ‘travelling spectacle’ to highlight the commodification and exploitation of animals.

Photography by David Wickham Photography ©