Why This Times Square Statue of a Black Woman Matters
In the middle of Times Square, surrounded by LED screens and spectacle, a 12-foot bronze sculpture of a Black woman stands unbothered and powerful. Titled Grounded in the Stars, this piece by British sculptor Thomas J. Price is more than a temporary installation—it’s a statement. One that’s sparked passionate debate across social media, particularly on TikTok, where people are divided on what this figure is meant to represent.
Some call it “uninspiring” or “unflattering.” Others say it looks like someone they know, someone they love, or even themselves. And that’s exactly what makes it important.
Price has built a reputation for challenging traditional monuments that typically glorify historical white men. Instead, his work centers everyday Black individuals—often unnamed, unpolished, but always intentional. The woman in Grounded in the Stars is not based on a celebrity or historical icon. She is a composite drawn from real people across cities like London, New York, and Los Angeles. She’s rocking sneakers, standing firmly with her hands on her hips, and taking up space in a world that often tries to shrink women who look like her.
What some see as “ordinary” is where the power lies. This is not a sculpture of a fantasy—it’s a reflection.
Grounded in the Stars 12 foot bronze sculpture by Thomas J. Price, Time Square.
As Price told CBS News, he wanted to create “a figure who embodies a presence that’s real.” By placing this everyday Black woman in one of the most iconic and visible places in the world, he is asking all of us to examine who we consider worthy of being monumentalized.
The criticisms say more about our collective conditioning than the statue itself. The backlash, largely rooted in fatphobia and narrow beauty standards, underscores why we still have a long way to go in how we see—and value—Black women. Representation shouldn’t only exist in high-glam, curated forms. It has to include the full spectrum: the raw, the quiet, the casual, the beautifully human.
Grounded in the Stars will be on display in Times Square through June 17, 2025. It’s part of a public art initiative by Times Square Arts. Alongside the statue, Price’s digital Man Series—animated sculpted heads exploring Black male identity—will light up 95 digital screens every night during the month of May as part of the Midnight Moment program.
For those who want to explore more of Price’s work, his solo exhibition, Resilience of Scale, is currently open at Hauser & Wirth New York through June 14, 2025.
Ultimately, this isn’t just about art—it’s about presence. Price reminds us that the Black women who exist in our lives every day deserve to be seen, remembered, and celebrated in bronze too.
Because visibility—real visibility—is power.
