American artist Tschabalala Self has unveiled Lady in Blue (2026) on the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square. Her sculpture, cast in bronze and patinated with lapis lazuli blue—a pigment used in in north Africa, the Middle East, and Europe since antiquity—will remain in place for two years.

I am absolutely fascinated with this sculpture but equally enthralled with the fact that this plinth changes about every two years. The opportunity for an artist to have their work in such a public forum and for a city to take this endeavor on amazes me. This piece by Tschabalala Self “Lady in Blue” depicts a young Black woman striding forward with purpose in a blue dress and heels, her gaze directed ahead of her. Self, who was born in Harlem in 1990 and lives and works in New York, described her as being representative of the city’s spirit, rather than as a specific figure of veneration.

Take a gander at some of the past sculptures and think about your city’s commitment to public art. Does it have public art? Does your city support living artists?