Tschabalala Self's bronze sculpture "Lady in Blue" has been selected to go on the Fourth Plinth; an inspiration drawn from the pursuit of capturing the essence of a modern-day " everywoman" within London's Trafalgar Square.
Crafted from bronze, "Lady in Blue" will stand out in the square’s existing collection of monuments with its unique lustrous blue hue of Lapis Lazuli - a colour, historically significant and used since antiquity, adorning the works of renowned artists like Titian and Vermeer.
“My work Lady in Blue will bring to Trafalgar Square a woman that many can relate to. She is not an idol to venerate or a historic figurehead to commemorate. She is a woman striding forward into our collective future with ambition and purpose. She is a Londoner, who represents the city’s spirit,” Self said in a statement.
Self is renowned for her vibrant and multilayered depictions of Black female figures. She employs a unique combination of paint, fabric, and recycled elements from her previous artworks to create these figures.
The monumental sculpture which pays homage to a young metropolitan woman of colour will take its place in Trafalgar Square in 2026 and will be followed in 2028 by Andra Ursuţa‘s "Untitled".
The Fourth Plinth has become renowned worldwide as a stage for cutting-edge contemporary art since its establishment 25 years ago. Past installations encompass Mark Wallinger’s Ecce Homo revealed in 1999 and the current exhibit, Samson Kambalu’s Antelope.
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