Cristina Schek's monumental 4 × 4 metre artwork, The Ceiling in the Sky, was unveiled by acclaimed actress Dame Siân Phillips on London's W4th Plinth in Chiswick on 23 April 2023. Selected from nearly 500 artist submissions, the work was shortlisted through a jury process before being chosen by public vote. It transforms an urban railway embankment into an immersive vision of the forest canopy, bringing Schek's photographic surrealism into the public realm.
Inspired by London's famous Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, the Chiswick W4th Plinth is a changing programme of temporary public art curated by Abundance London since September 2019, bringing contemporary art into everyday urban life. Its first installation featured a collage of music hall entertainers by Sir Peter Blake, a long-time Chiswick resident.
Dr Karen Liebreich MBE, Founder and Director of Abundance London, commented:
“Cristina’s work perfectly symbolises the intersection between art and nature that Abundance also strives for.”
Reflecting on her selection, Cristina Schek said:
“It’s awesome to be recognised for something that feels quite a lonely process. You are alone with your work, working away at it. [...] I am pretty jazzed about being chosen. It’s humbling.”
Describing the inspiration behind The Ceiling in the Sky, the artist explained:
“With this artwork, The Ceiling in the Sky, we go back in time to that pure wild wood that will eventually be urbanised and populated by some of the greatest creative minds in history. Within the canopy of the forest, we can see projections of their future imaginations. This is the fertile forest floor from where the creations of many artists could grow tall and strong, reaching up to the sky.”
Artist Cristina Schek with Dame Siân Phillips at the unveiling of The Ceiling in the Sky, W4th Plinth, Chiswick, 23 April 2023.
Cristina’s work is shown internationally by the Cynthia Corbett Gallery. Recent shows were at London Art Fair, Art Miami and Palm Beach Modern and Contemporary and her nnext big show will be at Hamptons Fine Art Fair 13-16 July.
PRESS:
New Artwork Unveiled for the ‘W4th Plinth’
The Ceiling in the Sky by Cristina Schek now occupies the 'W4th Plinth'
The Fourth Plinth for W4 April 2023
Cristina Schek expune o imagine de mari dimensiuni in Londra
_______________________________
UPDATE | September 2026: Cristina Schek Returns to the W4th Plinth
Three years after The Ceiling in the Sky, Cristina Schek returns to London's W4th Plinth with Fern Girl, another monumental 4 × 4 metre public artwork, becoming the first artist invited to present two different works on the platform. Unveiled by Cynthia Valianti Corbett, Founder and Director of Cynthia Corbett Gallery, on 19 September 2026 and curated by Abundance London, Fern Girl continues Schek's exploration of the relationship between humanity and nature, transforming the human figure into a surreal botanical portrait.
Discover Fern Girl (2026) and Its Unveiling on the W4th Plinth
