The 16th Fourth Plinth commission since the programme began in 1998 will be unveiled this autumn.
It has been announced that new sculpture Lady in Blue by artist Tschabalala Self will be unveiled on London’s Fourth Plinth on the 10th September 2026.
As the 16th commission as part of the Fourth Plinth commission, Lady in Blue follows on from Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) by Teresa Margolles, which is currently in situ.
Lady in Blue pays homage to a young, metropolitan woman — a quotidian figure — reflecting many of today’s Londoners. The work was inspired by a desire to bring a contemporary ‘everywoman’ to Trafalgar Square. Made of bronze, the work will be patinated with Lapis Lazuli blue, a rare and refined pigment that has been used since antiquity.
Self was announced as winning the commission in March 2024, along with Andra Ursuţa whose work will be unveiled on the Fourth Plinth in 2028. The artists were independently chosen by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, chaired by Ekow Eshun OBE. The public were invited to have their say on the shortlisted artworks and over 10,000 comments were received. These helped to inform the decision of the commissioning group.
Talking about her sculpture, Tschabalala Self said: “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 walking forward into our collective future with ambition and purpose. She is a Londoner, who represents the city’s spirit. I have London to thank for so many milestones in my 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 is the best possible home for this powerful figure.”
Self is an artist working across painting, printmaking and sculpture. Her practice explores representations of the human figure, with a particular focus on women, using sewn, printed, and painted materials. Born in New York in 1990, she lives and works in New York.