Rana Begum: 88 A – L
Rana Begum’s practice thrives on ambiguity. Seemingly simple in structure, her works on closer inspection often reveal a deeper complexity. Her chosen materials are selected for their physical qualities. The surfaces are clean and smooth. The appearance is perhaps unusual, but consistently flawless. But this is a conceit of sorts because beyond the surface something else is distilling. Next there is light – Begum’s ubiquitous collaborator. As an architect would aspire to, Begum uses light to draw out contrasts between different materials, and materials to create a very specific propagation of light about a space. This creates the paradox and ambiguity, that what appears to be straightforward and simple in her work is in fact intangible and complex.
88 A – L, 2021, a series of 12 screenprints, carries forward these explorations in the improbable realm of two-dimensions. A simple grid system laid down on a Somerset Satin Radiant White substrate, printed in layers of silver and white, create a matrix which holds the light sending it gently across the plane. Charged by geometric accents of primary colour we experience a surface akin to reflective materials, but which transcends to the abstract and enigmatic.
Please view the works below and contact sales@cristearoberts.com if you require any further information or would like to view the works at the gallery.
Film
Exhibitions
About the Artist
Rana Begum (b. 1977)
Rana Begum works with industrial materials, such as stainless steel, aluminium, copper, brass and glass to make sculptures and reliefs that explore geometry, colour and light. Light reflects and absorbs on fluorescent coloured surfaces to create changing sensations as viewers move in and around her works and the space they occupy. She is inspired by urban architecture and her childhood memories of the geometric patterns of traditional Islamic art and architecture.
Image: Rana Begum in her studio. Photo by Philip White
