Inspired by Islamic art and urban architecture, Rana Begum produces colourful abstract and geometric works which blur the boundaries between sculpture, painting and architecture. This exhibition in particular provides an insight into Begum’s engagement with ideas pertaining to community and place, as evidenced by the various models Begum has produced for public commissions.
A highlight is Begum’s immersive powder-coated, sculptural environment, No. 670 Mesh Installation (2016). A range of relief “fold” works and the artist’s series of models accompanies this piece.
She says of her work: “When I imagine my work, I think about the way that the light will come in and hit it, activating it and producing an experience that is temporal and sensorial, making you aware of yourself within the space and creating an experience beyond just visual impact.
During a subsequent visit to the Alhambra in Granada, this original memory was rekindled and I became even more keenly aware of the way that light can play a decisive role in activating elements, whether colour, form or an interaction of the two.
I should say that as a child I grew up in beautiful surroundings, in a landscape of rice fields and coconut trees bordering idyllic bathing pools - a landscape that had a very powerful and calming presence.
It is these experiences which have caused me to notice the transcendental potential in the alignment of things around me, and which have instilled the desire for my work to carry those feelings.”
Rana Begum: Space Light Colour. Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich, 12 May – 1 October
