BIO
The work of London-based artist Rana Begum distils spatial and visual experience into ordered form. Through her refined language of Minimalist abstraction, Begum blurs the boundaries between sculpture, painting and architecture. Her visual language draws from the urban landscape as well as geometric patterns from traditional Islamic art and architecture. Light is fundamental to her process. Begum’s works absorb and reflect varied densities of light to produce an experience for the viewer that is both temporal and sensorial.
Born in Bangladesh in 1977, Rana Begum lives and works in London. In 1999, Begum graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art and Design, and in 2002 gained an MFA in Painting from Slade School of Fine Art.
EDUCATION
2002
Slade School of Fine Art, MFA in Painting, London
1999
Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, BA (Hons) Fine Art Degree (Painting)
1996
University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, BTEC Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design.
CURRENT
2024-25
Solo show, Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
Solo show, Kate MacGarry, London
2023
Ordered Form, St Alban’s Museum. Curated by Inna Allen
Dappled Light, The Box, Plymouth. Curated by Sarah Shalgosky
2022
Solo Show, Reflection on Colour and Form, Cristea Roberts Gallery, London
Dappled Light, curated by Cliff Lawson, Pitzhanger Gallery and Manor
Dappled Light, curated by Cliff Lawson, Mead Gallery, Warwick
2021
Infinite Geometry, Wanas Konst, Sweden
Solo show, Kate MacGarry, London
2019
Solo show, Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai
Perception and Reflection, Third Line Gallery, Dubai
2018
Solo show, Christian Lethert, Cologne
Space Light Color, Djanogly Art Gallery, University of Nottingham
Conversation with Light and Colour, Gallery 10, TATE St Ives
2017
Space, Light, Colour Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich
2016
The Space Between, Parasol Unit, London
2015
Towards an Infinite Geometry, Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai
Gallery Three Touchstone, Rochdale
Future Light, Vienna Biennale 2015: Ideas for Change, MAK - Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria
Linear Abstraction, Gutstein Gallery, SCAD, Savannah, USA
2014
Solo Show Galeri Mana, Istanbul
Dhaka Art Summit, Jhaveri Contemporary, Bangladesh
2013
No.10, The Third Line, Dubai
Manifold, Galerie Christian Lethert, Cologne
2012
Solo show, Bischoff/Weiss, London
2011
The Folded Page, Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai
2010
Fractured Symmetry, Bischoff/Weiss, London
Solo show, Delfina Foundation, London
2009
The Moment of Alignment, The Third Line, Dubai
2008
Transient Symmetry, VineSpace, London
2007
Colour Codes, The Third Line, Dubai
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
RWA 117 Annual Open Exhibition, RWA, Bristol
2023
Life is More Important Than Art, Whitechapel Gallery, London
Desert X 2023, Desert X Bienniel, Coachella Valley, USA
Dhaka Art Summit 2023, DAS, Bangladesh
2022
Urban Impressions, Moody Centre for the Arts, Houston
Zim-Zum: The Folding World, Patrick Heide Contemporary Arts, London
Uncombed, Unforeseen, Unconstrained, Parasol Unit, Venice
2021
Rhythm & Geometry, SVAC, Norwich
Breaking the Mould, Longside Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Shapes, Alexander Berggruen, NY
Folkstone Triennial, Folkstone Trennial, Folkstone
2020
Hard Painting x2, Phoenix Art Space, Brighton
Guests: Artists and Craftspeople, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul
Seismic Moverments, Dhaka Art Summit, Bangladesh
Eccentric Objects, CFhill Gallery, Stockholm
2019
Guests: Artists and Craftspeople, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul
Is This Tomorrow? Whitechapel Gallery + Alserkal Arts Foundation, Dubai
The of Colour Cristea Roberts Gallery, London
Is This Tomorrow? Whitechapel Gallery, London
2018
Frieze Sculpture Park, London
Heavy Metal: Women to Watch, NMWA, Washington
RA Summer Show, London
Actions, Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge
Fold, Marta Herford, Germany
2017
Metal: Women to Watch, curated Caroline Douglas, Philips, London
Occasional Geometries, Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Things that Soak You, Kate MacGarry, London
31 Women, Bresslittle, London
The Order of Things, The Wilson, Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum, Cheltenham
2016
Tribute to Sol LeWitt, Gemeente Museum, Den Haag
11th Gwangju Biennale, Curated by Maria Lind, Korea
Cause the Grass Don’t Grow and the Sky Ain’t Blue, Praz Delavallade
Flatland/Narrative Abstractions, MRAC, Serignan
New Visions, Curated by Maria Lind, Tensta Konsthall, Stockholm
Into Boundless Space I Leap, Kettle's Yard / Maxwell Centre, Cambridge
2015
The Shapes We’re In, London
Triplicity, Athr, Jeddah
Future Light, Museum Angewandte Kunst, Vienna
Geometries of Difference, Dorsky Museum, New York
Linear Abstraction, Gutstein Gallery, SCAD, Savanah
The Great Festival of Creativity, Long Museum, Shanghai
Working Space, KNMA, Delhi
2014
Ethereal, curated by Amin Jaffer, Leila Heller Gallery, New York
The Language of Human Consciousness, Athr Gallery, Jeddah
2013
The Edge of Painting, The Piper Gallery, London
Empty Line, curated by Nabila Mokrani, Galerie Bertrand Grimont, Paris
2012
RA Summer show, London
2011
The Art and Math of the Fold, Ft-Contemporary, Berlin
The New Middle East, Willem Baars, Amsterdam
Common Logic, IMT, London
2010
Form & Phenomenon, Project88, Mumbai
Serendipity City, Future Everything, Manchester
2009
How Nations are Made, Cartwright Hall and Manor House, Bradford
Pattern Recognition, The City Gallery, Leicester
Lines of Control, Green Cardamom, London. Catalogue
Identity, Aisho Miura Arts, Tokyo. Catalogue
Neither Here, Nor There, Various City Locations- Billboards
2008
Contact, Bricklane, Work No. 951, London. Catalogue
Monologue/Dialogue Part II, Bischoff/Weiss, London
2007
Repetition and Sequence, Jerwood Space, London. Catalogue
Sequence and Repetition, Beldam Gallery, Uxbridge. Catalogue
2006
Monologue/Dialogue, BU Gallery, Bangkok. Catalogue
2005
Art:21 Power /Memory/Structures/Play, Art Museum of Western Virginia
Ad Infinitum: The Aesthetics of Repetition II, Haines Gallery, San Francisco
Colour My World, Riflemaker, London
2004
Upstarts, Haines Gallery, San Francisco
2x2, Dahl Gallery, Luzern
AWARDS/COMMISSIONS/ RESIDENCIES
2024
No.1403 Reflectors, Selfridges Artist Windows, Selfridges, London
No.1387 Fence, Verbier, Verbier 3-D Foundation
No.1367 Mesh, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester
No.1318, Museum of Fine Art, Boston
No.1352 Mesh, 1101 Van Buren, Chicago
2023
Hamilton Princess Residency, Bermuda
Public Art Commission, Bristol Beacon, Curated by Field Art Projects
No.1273 Flag, Art of London & Royal Academy
No.1238 Mesh, UBS Art Collection, London
No.1276 Mesh, Honour Stone, Korea
No.1138 Net, New York University
2022
No.1104 Catching Colour, The Line, London
2021
No.1088 Cleveland Clinic, London
No.1066 Brick, Wanas Konst, Sweden
2020
No.1054 Arpeggio, Folkstone Triennial, Folkstone
No.975, Roksanda Fashion Show, London
2019
Guests: Artists and Craftspeople, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul
2018
This is Tomorrow, Marina Tabassum, London
Bella Artes Project, Manila, Philippines
2017
No.724 Reflectors, Westgate, Oxford
2016
No.694 Hyetal, (D)avid Corney
No.688, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
No.700 Refelctors, Kings Cross
2015
No.510, HLC, Kiran Nadar, Delhi
2014
LSM, Washington DC
2013
Surbiton Health Centre Public Art Commission, London
Hualien Cinema, public art commission, Taiwan
2012
Jack Goldhill Award for Sculpture, Royal Academy of Arts, London
2011
Marcol House public art commission, London
2009
Two months residency in Beirut through Delfina Foundation
2006
British Council Residency in Bangkok
2007
Nominated for the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award
2005
Lewisham Hospital Commission
Coventry Hospital Commission in collaboration with Tess Jaray
Artist in Residence at West Dean College, West Sussex
2000
Arts and Humanities Research Board award for postgraduate study
SELECTED REVIEWS AND ARTICLES
2019
The Art Newspaper, Number 313, June
2018
Elle India, June 6, Between The Lines
The Telegraph, July 4
Arab News, May 31
Harpers Bazaar, July 9
2017
Emel + Aris, 2018 Artist Rana Begum on her life in colour
New York Times, March 22
Financial Times, March 17
Ocula, March
2016
Wallpaper* Magazine, July
This is tomorrow, August
ArtAsiaPacific, Review by Cleo Roberts, July
Harpers Bazaar, July
AD Magazine, November-December
2015
Artsy Editorial Oct 27th, 25 Must-See Shows This November
The Metropolist, Artist’s Portrait, by Rachel Holmes
Bazaar, Issue #200, Interview by Deepa Pant
Saturation Point, Interview by Patrick Morrisey
Verve Magazine, India, Framed, Text by Huzan Tata
2014
Art Form, Issue 1
Financial Times, The Dhaka Art Summit, Rachel Spence
2013
Surface Magazine, Marina Cashdan, Issue 101Time Out, Dubai
ArtAsiaPacific, Kevin Jones Issue 85
Ala Chamfest, Magazine No.6
2012
Platform- creative lifestyle Jan/Feb
2011
Mid-Day, Shape shifters invade city by Soma Das, Mumbai
Wallpaper, Colour Scheme by Deepanjana Pal
Vogue India, Shape Shifter by Deepanjana Pal
2010
Time Out, India. Block Game by Zeenat Nagree
Art Asia Pacific by Hanea Ko
Time Out, London. In the studio by Helen Sumpter
2009
Modern Painters, Back to Black by Jyoti Dhar
What’s On, Dubai, The line of beauty by Catherine Jarvie
Gulf News, Dubai newspaper, Lines of enchantment, Jyoti Kalsi
Time Out, Dubai, Solid Geometry by Chris Lord
The National, Dubai newspaper, Patterns of work by Ed Lake
2008
Financial Times, Abstraction Rules OK by Jan Dalley
2007
Vogue UK, October issue, The alchemists by Louisa Buck
Lofficial Middle East, Colour Codes
OK, Dubai, Colour Codes
City Times, Dubai, Colour Codes
Gulf News, Dubai. Colour Codes
Time Out, Dubai, Issue 36, Colour Codes
Harper’s Bazaar, Dubai, Sep. 2007, Colour Codes
2006
The Nation Newspaper, Bangkok, Monologue/Dialogue