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yesterday

Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue Installed on London’s Fourth Plinth

A monumental bronze patinated lapis‑blue figure centers a contemporary Black everywoman in Trafalgar Square as reports say a private foundation may move the work to Fornebu, Norway after its two‑year display.

Artist Tschabalala Self unveils her artwork, Lady in Blue, on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth in London
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Lady in Blue bronze in London

Overview

  • Lady in Blue was unveiled on Thursday, September 10, 2026, and will occupy the Fourth Plinth for two years as the 16th commission in the programme.
  • The five‑metre bronze depicts a striding young Black woman in a form‑fitting blue dress, heels and glass‑beaded jewellery, a choice the artist says aims to present an accessible, forward‑looking 'everywoman'.
  • The Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, chaired by Ekow Eshun, selected Self in a process funded and supported by the Mayor of London, Arts Council England and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
  • The Art Newspaper reports that the sculpture has been sold to a private foundation and is expected to move to Fornebu, Norway after the London run, but that transfer is reported rather than confirmed by all programme partners.
  • The installation adds one of the few public statues of a Black woman in London and follows public debate about representation and past incidents of vandalism of Self’s outdoor work, raising questions about long‑term public access and protection for figurative monuments.