Lines of enchantment

Rana Begum's geometric patterns look deceptively simple but reflect a deep spirituality.

Rana Begum was 8 years old when her family moved from Bangladesh to the United Kingdom. In her first few months at school in London, she could not understand a word of what was said in class. But one subject that she intuitively understood and excelled in was art. Colours and forms became the language in which she could express her thoughts and emotions. She went on to graduate in fine art.

The young artist's fascination with colour, lines and light is evident in her work. And her simple, repetitive compositions have a sense of tranquillity, rhythm and spirituality that reflect her Islamic heritage. "I used to be a figurative artist but then I realised I am not really interested in the figure but in the lines. I was enchanted by the way lines are used to describe something and the way they change with the changing light. Perhaps my love for Islamic architecture and the way light coming through the beautiful latticed windows changed the space within led to this. During my fine art course I decided to focus on exploring the interplay between light and form," Begum says.

She began by painting repetitive geometric patterns on wood to understand the basic elements of form, line and light. Later, she used Perspex boxes and coloured tape to explore three-dimensional forms and their interplay with light. In her latest series, titled The Moment of Alignment, Begum has taken the three-dimensional aspect of her work to another level by using paper and extruded aluminium bars to create sculptural installations that change as the viewer moves around them.

Begum's experiments with this concept began with small, colourful 3-D pieces made from paper. These led to larger aluminium installations with each bar mounted individually on the wall. The beauty of Begum's creations lies in the fact that each piece contains many different artworks hidden within. When seen from the front, these artworks appear to be just a series of black vertical bars. But if the viewer moves even slightly in any direction, the simple arrangement of black lines transforms into fascinating and ever-changing geometric patterns in bright colours. The interplay between the various elements of the artwork varies with every angle, revealing new colours, patterns and arrangements of light and shade as you move around it.

Begum's compositions are inspired by the patterns and forms found in Islamic art. But this series focuses on the random occurrence of the patterns in the urban environment. "The Moment of Alignment refers to the everyday moments that inspire me. For example, I might notice the bright colour of a street sign next to some steel fencing. As I walk past, for an instant, these two random elements seem connected in a perfect composition. I call that a moment of alignment," Begum says. "I love to see the reaction when someone moves in front of the work and finds the colours and patterns shift. And the best thing is that people have sent me pictures of such patterns they spotted in the city after being inspired to notice them by my creations," she adds.

The recurring lines and geometric shapes in her work give it a deeply spiritual feel. "I love the idea of using simple forms at their purest to create repetition and symmetry. I am interested in how geometry is used in Islamic art and architecture to convey the ideas of infinity and unity. And my work embodies the idea of being part of a larger whole, a fraction of something that could continue outwards," Begum says.

Although she has used black prominently in this series, colour is still an important aspect of Begum's work. "While doing the studies on paper, I was able to explore colour and form together to create a balance. I could see that the black defined the other colours and gave them depth, while remaining a unifying background. This was very exciting and I wanted to explore further the reaction of colour and form with black. That was the starting point for this exhibition," she says.

Begum is happy to return to Dubai after a successful show two years ago. "My work is inspired by Islamic art and the idea of the infinite and the sublime is always present in my creations. So it is fitting that this exhibition is taking place during Ramadan."

Jyoti Kalsi is a UAE-based art enthusiast.

The Moment of Alignment by Rana Begum is on at The Third Line gallery, Dubai, until October 1.