Rana Begum was born in Sylhet, Bangladesh in 1977 and moved to Hertford, UK in 1983. As an artist with a background of multiple identities, she does not eagerly pour subjective narratives into her work, but rather explores the structure of external materials, demonstrating a keen interest in creating abstract installations through a minimalist approach.
Begum’s experience living in different cities has richly nourished her creativity, whether it is the traditional Islamic architecture of Bangladesh, or the tranquil modern urban landscape of London; the cityscape and natural objects echo each other, generating space, light and layers, which are her most crucial subjects. Her impressions of contemporary urban environments, the paddy fields in Bangladesh from her childhood and the memories of repetitive chanting of the Quran together create a dialogue between form, color and light.
Begum applies stainless steel wire - an industrial material used in urban construction - to her installations, sculpting multiple layered structures out of the tough yet flexible texture of the material. The endless and reversible industrial nature of stainless steel wire is utilized to blur the boundaries of visuality.