Verbier 3-D Foundation
Work: No.1387 Fence
Location: Verbier 3-D Foundation
Date: 2024
No.1387 Fence was created as a response to Begum’s residency at Verbier 3-D Foundation. Begum became interested in the impermanent, ever-changing energy of nature. Like the shifting seasons and fluctuating weather, she wanted the sculpture's sudden presence, public interaction, and eventual absence to reflect the dynamic essence of nature itself. The work will be shown at Verbier for two years, and is designed to disappear and reappear easily. This approach harmonises with nature's energy flow, which recycles materials and sustains ecosystems without leaving permanent scars.
Bristol Beacon
Work: No.1218, No.1219, No.1226 Textile
Location: Bristol Beacon, Bristol
Date: 2022/23
Begum was commissioned to design seat covers and tapestries as part of the Bristol Beacon Transformation. Through her designs she chose to reflect the diversity of sound preformed in the halls through rhythm, pattern and repetition. She responded to the qualities of light by pushing the boundaries of colour and texture with in the space. To achieve this she collaborated with the textile company Dash and Miller to develop a textured, jacquard design that added further dynamism to the pattern and material.
The OWO
Work: No.1111 Relief Panel
Location: The OWO, London
Date: 2023
In No.1111 Relief Panel, Begum revisits ideas she developed early in her career by exploring the idea of the ‘relief’. Inspired by the architecture of The OWO, the use of extruded aluminium with a matt metallic finish highlights the dynamic interplay between surface, light and the possibilities of scale. In this context the work juxtaposes the traditional architectural facades and mouldings to enhance the viewers perception of space.
Stockholm School of Economics
Work: No.1317 Reflector
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Date: 2023
No.1317 Reflector is made using bicycle reflectors. The installation injects a playful positivity into the classroom. The mosaic surface has an alluring tactility, allowing the work to be touched and interacted with. The material absorbs and reflects the changing natural light, removing the object from its commonplace functionality and transforming it through pattern and multiplication.
The Line: City Island
Work: No.1104 Catching Colour
Location: City Island, London, UK
Date: 2022
No. 1104 Catching Colour is a site-specific outdoor installation created by Rana Begum for Botanic Square. This dramatic work, featuring clouds of suspended coloured mesh, is simultaneously light and monumental, appearing to float above the central pathway. Soft layers create a mesmerising interplay of light and form, which are echoed by their shadows on the ground below. Inspired by the reflections of light on water close-by, Begum’s work is a fitting response to the natural environment of London City Island and the River Lea that winds around it.
Folkstone Triennale
Work: No.1054 Arpeggio
Location: Folkstone, UK
Date: 2020-2021
Begum’s work connects the beach huts along Folkestone’s Marine Walk both with one another and with their surrounds, bringing a sense of movement and vitality to the promenade. Subtle colour gradients, applied to the sides of the huts, reflect the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape and its abundance of natural light which continually shifts and changes from one season to the next. These subtle hues are juxtaposed with strong geometric forms, echoing the architectural symmetry and repetition of the huts themselves.
Wanas Konst
Work: No.1066 Bricks
Location: Wanas Konst, Sweden
Date: 2020-2021
This 275m permanent pathway was commissioned for Wanas Konst sculpture park. The material reflects the architecture of Wanas Konst and reconnects the original brick factory on the estate that burnt down 150 years ago, connecting the work to both the site and Sweden’s industrial history. The pathway allows the work to become fully interactive, acting to direct the flow of visitors and improve accessibility. The geometry widens the pathway at points to allow for passing points and moments for the visitors to pause and reflect.
Frieze Sculpture Park
Work: No.814
Location: Freize Sculpture Park, London, UK
Date: 2018
No.814 consists of 5 vertical glass planes protruding from the ground. Each sheet is positioned so that colours overlap and create a third layer of colour as you move around the work. The varying densities of light and colour produce an experience which is both temporal and sensorial. It is an infinitely shifting and changing multi-faceted work, which absorbs and reflects the environment and viewer. No.814 has also been installed outside Pallant House Gallery and Albion Barn.
Westgate, Oxford Alliance
Work: No.724 Reflectors
Location: Westgate, Oxford, UK
Date: 2017
Made with over 4000 reflectors, No.724 Reflectors, 2017 embraces the irregularity of the space and contributes a new energy. The dynamic quality of the material interacts with the space; as the light of day changes and people walk up and down the escalator the piece transforms. It draws the viewer in, allowing them to get close to and touch the material.
Cleveland Clinic
Work: No.688
Location: Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA
Date: 2016
These bar works demonstrate how a seemingly static work can come alive, moving and mutating as the viewer passes before it. This dynamic movement is created through the interaction of form, colour and light, creating reflections and gradients that shift with the viewer. As the light changes, the work creates an experience that is both temporal and sensorial. While the bars give physical form to these fleeting moments, the geometric composition, modular forms and minimalist design bring a stabilising sense of order to the work. The geometric pattern utilises repetition and order to create a sense of the infinite.
Kings Cross, Cubitt Sq.
Work: No.700 Reflectors
Location: Kings Cross, London, UK
Date: 2016
Measuring 50 metres long and 3.5 metres high, No.700 Reflectors, 2016 occupied the full length of Lewis Cubitt Square at King’s Cross. The work consisted of 30,000 reflectors forming a bold geometric pattern spanning across the hoarding at King’s Cross. This project shows how temporary public artwork can help animate public space in a bold and engaging way. The reflectors illuminate and reflect subtle changes in light. These vibrant chevrons create a dialogue with the public’s journey through the space, forming a continuous surface of shifting colour and form that responds to movement and light.
NHS London
Work: No.432, 433, 434
Location: London, UK
Date: 2013
This proposal was intended to create something that was interactive, allowing viewers to connect with each other as well as the art work while they wait. Created from over 20,000 Lego blocks, this work covers three walls of the hospital’s waiting area. The geometric pattern explores the idea of an infinite and broken geometry. Part of the geometric pattern is permanently glued to the base plates, while other blocks are removable so that visitors can become the creators themselves. The bright primary colours and interactive nature of this piece injects an element of playful joy into an environment which can often feel cold and sterile.