| April 17, 2026 
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Last April, when “Grounded in the Stars,” a 12-foot work by Thomas J Price depicting a Black woman in a casual pose, was installed in Times Square, it set off a national, and sometimes racist, debate. Some commenters on social media made A.I. animations of racist tropes referencing the sculpture. When it was featured on Fox News, a host branded it as an example of diversity, equity and inclusion. Price’s latest work stands in front of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s new outpost in East London. In contrast to the carved statues of monarchs and saints framing the entrance to the museum’s main building eight miles to the west, this 18-foot bronze sculpture depicts an anonymous young Black woman. She holds a phone in one hand as she turns, in a twist reminiscent of Bernini’s “David,” to look over her right shoulder with an intent gaze. Her hair is in two neat braids and the folds of her T-shirt drape luxuriously where they tuck into her jeans. She wears colossal Nike Air Rift sneakers. |
