Unveiled by Cynthia Valianti Corbett | Curated by Abundance London. 19 September 2026 | Turnham Green Terrace Piazza, Chiswick, London W4
Cristina Schek's Fern Girl, a monumental 4 × 4 metre surreal botanical portrait, is presented on the W4th Plinth in Chiswick, London, a public art initiative curated by Abundance London. Unveiled by Cynthia Valianti Corbett, art historian and Founder and Director of Cynthia Corbett Gallery, the installation marks a significant milestone in Schek's artistic career.
Cristina Schek becomes the first artist invited to present two different works on the W4th Plinth, following her acclaimed The Ceiling in the Sky, unveiled by Dame Siân Phillips in 2023.
Fern Girl: A Monumental Encounter with Nature
Built from layers of Schek's own photographs, including ferns photographed in London's green spaces, Fern Girl explores the relationship between humanity and the natural world. Inspired by the resilience of ferns, plants that have existed since long before the dinosaurs, the artwork brings together photography, digital montage and surrealist imagination. The human figure gradually merges with the surrounding foliage, suggesting a forest deity and dissolving the boundaries between body, vegetation and landscape. At four metres high and four metres wide, Fern Girl takes Schek's photographic practice beyond the conventional frame and into the public realm.
London's W4th Plinth: Art, Nature and the City
Curated by Abundance London, the W4th Plinth presents changing large-scale contemporary artworks on the Transport for London-owned railway embankment in Chiswick. Sharing the spirit of London's celebrated Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, the W4th Plinth brings contemporary art into the heart of public life. Its connections to urban greening, environmental awareness and community engagement create a dialogue between art, nature and the city, themes central to Fern Girl. The artwork was selected first by a jury of art experts and subsequently by public vote, reflecting both professional recognition and community engagement.
Cynthia Valianti Corbett: Championing Cristina Schek's Artistic Practice
The unveiling continues a long-standing relationship between Cristina Schek and Cynthia Corbett Gallery. Cynthia Valianti Corbett has championed and presented Schek's work internationally, supporting the development of her photographic practice and introducing her imaginative visual world to collectors and audiences beyond the traditional gallery setting. Her role in unveiling Fern Girl marks another chapter in that relationship, as Schek's work moves from exhibitions and art fairs into a monumental public setting. The unveiling also brings together Dr Karen Liebreich MBE, Founder and Director of Abundance London, and Aura Woodward, Director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, with support from the Institute.
From the W4th Plinth to Saatchi Gallery
Just five days after the unveiling, Schek's work is presented at British Art Fair at Saatchi Gallery, with Cynthia Corbett Gallery at Stand 18 and Digitalism at Stand D11. A gallery-scale edition of Fern Girl is also presented at the fair, connecting the public installation in Chiswick with Schek's wider contemporary art practice.
Discover and Collect Fern Girl
Alongside its monumental public presentation, Fern Girl is available as a limited-edition fine art print for private collections.
