Lectures at the MFA - Color, Light, Place: Rana Begum

Rana Begum has been working as an abstract artist since graduating from the Slade School of Fine Art in London in 2002. When the MFA reinstalled its Art of Islamic Cultures Gallery in 2018, Begum—whose practice has always been influenced by the geometry and colors of Islamic art—created a work for the new space, situated directly behind an ornate sandstone arch that is typical of South Asian Islamic architecture. Hear from Begum as she discusses her work and describes the journey she undertook to create "No. 1318" (2023)—from studying the MFA’s collection closely to experimenting with layering shapes and colors and observing their responses to daylight. Sunday, May 18, 2025 Ananda Coomaraswamy Annual Lecture