Nicholas Pope, a British sculptor known for pioneering natural materials and pushing them to their structural limits, has died at age 77. Pope represented the UK at the 1980 Venice Biennale and participated in major Arts Council exhibitions. After contracting encephalitis in Tanzania in 1982, his practice shifted dramatically from precarious stone works to vibrant, unpredictable forms using epoxy resin, ceramics, knitting, and colored glass. His later masterpieces include 'Apostles Speaking in Tongues Lit By Their Own Lamps' (1993-96) and the knitted 'Mr and Mrs Pope' series.