
Artist Rana Begum’s distinct language of minimalism

Summary
In her ongoing solo in Mumbai, the artist showcases specific strands of her practice through new relief panelsAt the Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai, you come across a finely measured study in abstract minimalism in Bangladesh-born Rana Begum’s eponymously titled solo. For those who follow abstraction, this show—much like artist Prabhavathi Meppayil’s austere contemplations showcased at the Mumbai-based gallery earlier—would offer much to think about. The space seems to have transformed with this show, which opened on 9 January as part of the annual Mumbai Gallery Weekend. Meppayil’s solemn, mostly white and bare, sculptural paintings seem to have given way to Begum’s forms with soft, blooming hues. In visual effect, it feels like winter is turning to spring.
The artist, who currently lives and works in London, is no stranger to Jhaveri Contemporary: this is her fourth solo there in 13 years. Her debut in 2011, titled The Folded Page, consisted of wall-based painted metal sculptures, which were inspired by urban environments and furniture. And her second show in 2015, Towards an Infinite Geometry, featured triangular grids, mesh-based works, and colour drawings on paper, which explored the extrapolated possibilities of geometric shapes and patterns. Her third showing in 2019, on the other hand, was spatially more expansive.
The thrust of the current exhibition appears to be on specific strands of her oeuvre, leaning on new relief panel works made in 2024, a large wall-based installation, which emerged from a residency she attended in Istanbul in 2019, and a presentation of works in watercolour on paper. The expansive three dimensionality of form, which has characterised her recent shows elsewhere, appears absent here. However, equally evocative are her wall-based works, on display in this show, which explore the play of colour in a more intimate setting, inviting intuitive responses from the observer. The space, lit up by the winter sun, complements Begum’s works, which feed off the ambient, but not overexposed, natural light. This results in revelations of subtle shifts in tonal variations.
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The first work that meets the visitor is No.974 (2019-20), a large wall-based installation in high relief, comprising 29 multi-hued elements, born out of the explorations in Istanbul. There, she found inspiration in the storied domes that dot the skyline of the city. While researching local crafts and experimenting with new production techniques at a metal-spinning workshop, she cast moulds inspired by the bases of Turkish lamps resembling the well-known domes.
The artist moved to the UK with her family at the age of eight and has lived there for four decades now. But the events happening in her home country of Bangladesh or conflicts elsewhere in the world—in Ukraine, Palestine, and more—continue to impact her. “It is very naive to say that our views or opinions don’t matter. Or to say that artists’ works aren’t about their political views. Our work comes out of our experiences, and whether we are artists, architects, designers, musicians… we have a responsibility," she says. Begum wishes to create spaces that make us think, reflect on the world that we live in—where people can understand themselves and their lives better. “These are spaces of empathy," she adds.
In Begum’s work, there are identifiable imprints of modernist art movements like Minimalism, Constructivism and Op art (optical art). But she is sensitive to being cursorily categorised, implying a willingness to embrace the tougher path to critical recognition. “My work falls between painting, sculpture and architecture. The fluidity of the practice allows me to explore different media and techniques to express my ideas, while not isolating myself and maintaining a dialogue with other artists (and architects) allows me to push the boundaries," she responds.
Repetitive patterns and mark-making characterised by an architectural or a grid-based form have invited obvious comparisons with eminent forerunners like Agnes Martin and Donald Judd. But her works marked by organic shapes, examples of which include her monumental installation inspired by basket weaving techniques, at the Dhaka Art Summit in 2014; or more recently her suspended mesh-forms exhibited at the touring Dappled Light shows in the UK in 2022 and 2023 could also remind one of American modernist artist Ruth Asawa’s abstract looped-wire sculptures.
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Architecture has profoundly influenced Begum since her early days, given her interest in examining the possibilities through the manipulation of light and colour in spaces. That has led to continuing dialogues with architects, and integration of architectural elements into her practice. Perhaps the most vital collaborative project is her own award-winning home-studio in North East London, designed by Peter Culley and his architectural firm Spatial Affairs Bureau.
The second set of works are ridged aluminium relief panels alluding to this long-term engagement as they incorporate architectural elements of form and perspective with the ridges alternating horizontally and vertically. Drawing from ideas she explored early in her career, here she appears to examine form, light and colour in a more focused manner. As the observer moves from one side to the other, the colour of the spray-painted aluminium surface changes subtly depending on the angle of viewing. Consistent with her adopted taxonomy, they are numerically titled—carrying names like No.1361, No.1411, No.1412 and No.1413, indicative of continued explorations in her practice.
And then there are monochromatic watercolours on paper, six of which are on display. These are small and intimate, with the grid paper having been painted with a watered-down and graded wash. “I struggled with colour in recent years, focusing more on the relationship between colour and form," shares Begum. “I have now realised the importance of exploring the impact of colour in various forms, from large spot paintings to smaller watercolours."
These works, which were started during the covid-19 lockdowns as a therapeutic refuge, have now become an ongoing habit to zone out the stress that can creep up from time to time while juggling a household and a fully functioning studio, says the artist.
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Begum seems to have found her own abstract language that fits into the canon of minimalism and yet allows her to carve a distinct path through it. Whether it is her nuanced play with hue, tint and shade in her relief panels in this exhibition, or her previous expansive, suspended mesh forms that transcend the minimalist ethos of simplistic shapes and hard edges—her practice encourages engagement of the visitor with the work in varied ways.
The exhibition is on till 22 February at Jhaveri Contemporary, Colaba, Mumbai.
Anindo Sen is an independent art and culture writer.