In the heart of London, where history has long been sealed in stone and bronze, Trafalgar Square has for centuries hosted imperial figures, generals, and kings. Yet the famous empty plinth in the northwest corner — the Fourth Plinth — continues its mission of challenging the city’s conservative silhouette, serving as a living, breathing platform for art. In September 2026, this plinth is set to welcome a work that will change the face of London not only with its colour but with the story it tells: Tschabalala Self’s captivating sculpture Lady in Blue.
This new installation forms the freshest and most vibrant link in the Fourth Plinth project’s more than two-decade tradition of disrupting the conventional idea of the “monument.” While the other statues in Trafalgar Square emerge from dusty pages of the past as idealized and often unreachable figures, Lady in Blue places today’s Londoner — the energy of the street and the spirit of a woman striding confidently toward the future — at its very centre.
The Nobility of Lapis Lazuli and the Strength of Bronze
Lady in Blue possesses a depth that pays homage to art history through its technical and aesthetic choices. The sculpture’s primary material is bronze, patinated with lapis lazuli blue — a pigment regarded since antiquity as one of the most precious, rivaling gold in rarity and reserved for the most sacred or noble depictions.
Tschabalala Self’s decision to use this revered pigment to portray “a young Black woman of the metropolis” is far from a casual aesthetic choice; it carries a powerful subtext. The sanctity and nobility traditionally bestowed upon kings and saints are, in Self’s hands, granted to an “everywoman” one might encounter in the daily life and crowds of London. This gesture represents an ethical stance that upends the hierarchical understanding of art in the square, sanctifying the ordinary person of the street.
Not an Idol, but a City Dweller
In her statements about the work, Tschabalala Self draws a very clear distinction: this woman is not an idol to kneel before, nor a historical figure whose memory is to be sanctified. She is a city dweller embodying the spirit of London — advancing toward our shared future with determination and purpose.
London holds a special place in Self’s career. It was here that she presented her first institutional exhibition and her first major painting series. For this reason, the placement of Lady in Blue in Trafalgar Square is not only a triumph of public art but also a gesture of gratitude toward the city that nurtured her development. The sculpture’s emphasis on the “metropolitan woman” aligns perfectly with London’s multicultural, dynamic, and never-still character.
From Tragedy to Hope: A Relay Race
This change in September 2026 will radically transform the emotional atmosphere of the square. Lady in Blue will take over from Teresa Margolles’s current work on the plinth, Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) — a deeply dramatic and political piece composed of thousands of face casts of trans individuals, carrying the heavy burden of mourning and the struggle for visibility.
Self’s work lifts this social struggle and existential effort out of grief and places it within the realm of “movement” and “future.” The sorrowful and shattering dialogue with Margolles gives way to Self’s resolute, vital, and forward-looking energy. This transition demonstrates that public art can do more than point out problems — it can also celebrate the resistance and progress born from those very problems.
In the Spotlight: 2028 and Beyond
The Fourth Plinth programme has already scheduled 2028: following Tschabalala Self, the plinth will be taken over by Andra Ursuța’s untitled work. This continuity is one of the finest examples of how London opens contemporary art for discussion not only in the sterile environment of galleries but in the very heart of public space, beneath the gaze of millions.
When Lady in Blue takes her place in September 2026, she will stand in the shadow of Nelson’s Column yet shine with her own light. With her rare blue, she will touch the past; with her giant strides, the future; and with the woman she represents, the present. Trafalgar Square will no longer be merely a place commemorating the wars of the past — it will become a stage echoing the steps of modern London’s freely walking women.
EXHIBITION AND INSTALLATION INFORMATION
Work Title: Lady in Blue
Artist: Tschabalala Self
Location: Trafalgar Square, Fourth Plinth, London
Inauguration Date: September 2026
Material: Bronze with lapis lazuli blue patina
Previous Work: Mil Veces un Instante (Teresa Margolles)
Future Work (2028): Untitled (Andra Ursuța)
Commissioning Body: Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group
Photo: James O Jenkins
