New York–based artist Tschabalala Self and Romanian American sculptor Andra Ursuţa have won the Fourth Plinth prize. The two artists were selected by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, which is chaired by Ekow Eshun, from a shortlist of seven artists. They will present their sculptures on London’s Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2026 and 2028, respectively.
Self, known for her representations of the female form through mediums like paint and fabrics, won for her work Lady in Blue. This bronze sculpture is a tribute to young metropolitan women of color, inspired to capture the contemporary “everywoman,” and will be patinated with lapis lazuli blue.
“My work Lady in Blue will bring to Trafalgar Square a woman that many can relate to,” Self said. “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.”
Ursuţa’s sculpture Untitled will be fashioned from a translucent, pale green resin, and resembles a shrouded equestrian figure. Its ghostly appearance symbolizes forgotten or hidden histories, questioning the meaning of contemporary public sculpture.
“I am touched and humbled by the selection committee’s choice,” said Ursuţa. “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.”
Founded in 1999, the Fourth Plinth Prize was inaugurated with a sculpture by Mark Wallinger. Previous winners of the Fourth Plinth prize include Samson Kambalu in 2022 and Heather Phillipson in 2018.
