New York-based artist Tschabalala Self and Romanian-American sculptor Andra Ursuţa have won the Fourth Plinth Award. The Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group chaired by Ekow Eshun selected the two artists from a shortlist of seven artists. The sculptures will be presented on the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square in 2026 and 2028, respectively.
Self, known for his depictions of the female form in media such as paint and fabric, won for Lady in Blue. This bronze sculpture is a tribute to young metropolitan women of color, inspired to capture the “everywoman” of today, and will be patinated in blue lapis lazuli.
“My Lady in Blue will bring to Trafalgar Square a woman many can relate to,” Self said. “She is not an idol to worship or a historical figure to remember. She is a woman who moves forward in our collective future with ambition and purpose. She is a Londoner who represents the spirit of the city.”
Ursuta’s Untitled sculpture will be made of translucent, pale green resin and will resemble an equestrian figure. Its ghostly appearance symbolizes forgotten or hidden histories, questioning the meaning of contemporary public sculpture.
“I am touched and humbled by the choices of the selection committee,” said Ursuţa. “My work deals with history; history makes sense to us as we try to make sense of it. Trafalgar Square is a place where multiple histories face each other. It will never end. This is a decisive and beautiful accident.’
Created in 1999, the Fourth Plinth was inaugurated with a sculpture by Mark Wallinger. Previous winners of the Fourth Zocalo include Samson Kambalu in 2022 and Heather Phillipson in 2018.
