Two artworks will be erected on the fourth plinth of Trafalgar Square, a hollow, life-sized person on a horse cast in a slime-green resin and a bronze sculpture honouring a woman of colour.
Tschabalala Self and Andra Ursuța’s pieces were chosen from a shortlist that also included pieces by Veronica Ryan, Thomas J. Price, Gabriel Chaile, Chila Kumari Singh Burman, and Ruth Ewan.
The idea of Self’s Lady in Blue, scheduled for installation in 2026, was to introduce a modern “everywoman” to Trafalgar Square. Lapis lazuli blue, a pigment that has been used since antiquity in North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, including by artists like Titian and Vermeer, will be applied on the bronze sculpture.
The US artist Self, best known for her use of paint, fabric, and leftover bits from her earlier works to create female figures, expressed her gratitude for her sculpture’s selection, calling it an “honour.”
“It will bring to Trafalgar Square a woman that many can relate to,” she added. “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 also thanked London “for so many milestones” in her practice. “I had my first institutional show here, and later the first presentation of my first major painting series. The city has truly supported my artistic development and I am beyond thrilled to give back to its visual landscape with this public commission.”
The Romanian artist tackles darker aspects of modern society with humour and provocation while exploring the nihilistic picture of the human condition in his work.
She said she was “touched and humbled” by the commission. “My work deals with history; history makes sense of us as we try to make sense of it. Trafalgar Square is a place where multiple histories face one another in an open-ended standoff. It will never be finished. This is such a crucial, and beautiful, accident.”
The Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, led by Ekow Eshun, selected the winning artwork on its own. The decision was made after the public was given the opportunity to voice their opinions.
THE GUARDIAN
