No. 684, L Fold

A large-scale wall mounted relief sculpture from a series known as the ‘large folds’. These works have complex geometries that manipulate, fold and collapse space. They twist and tilt, redefining the space around them and rendering the spectator more spatially alert. Reflective surfaces and fluorescent colour on the reverse give a sense of lightness. Begum cites diverse influences including Constructivism, Minimalism, Islamic art, architecture and the urban built environment. She describes ‘a common language of colour, form and pattern’ that ‘transcends nationality, class and gender’. [1]

Due to the reflective nature of the pristine painted surfaces, the large folds seem to hold a heightened attraction to light. The effect can change the geometry of these irregular polygons, so that form can expand, contract or completely collapse depending on the viewpoint. The coloured surfaces reflect against the gallery wall creating a shimmering effect that suggest the work could be about to take flight. The effect is often ethereal and gives a sense of weightlessness to the work and yet they still retain their mass. Begum is particularly sensitive to how we perceive light falling on surfaces and the rapture this can evoke.

Rana Begum’s (b. 1977) practice blurs the boundaries between sculpture, painting and architecture and has a transformative, sensory and immersive quality. The Sainsbury Centre staged Begum’s first museum solo show in 2017. This exhibition called, Rana Begum: Space Light Colour, included a selection of works made over the previous decade. Her working practice engages with the urban fabric and the built environment. Space, light and colour are her raw materials. To enhance these three essential elements, she uses industrial, often ready-made, modular components. Her works are constructed as repeated units and grids, in systemised arrangements. There are titled as numbers in sequential order.

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