Artist Rana Begum explains how her interest in colour and light drew her to Turner's dazzling seascape, 'Ulysses deriding Polyphemus'. Having focused mainly on the work of the Impressionists as a student, Begum reflects on 'discovering' Turner and the similarities between her own and the artist's exploration of the effect of light in the course of preparing for this event.
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, 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.
? Find out more about 'Ulysses deriding Polyphemus': https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/joseph-mallord-william-turner-ulysses-deriding-polyphemus-homers-odyssey
?️ Find out more about Turner: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/joseph-mallord-william-turner
#NationalGallery #ArtHistory #Turner
? Subscribe to our YouTube channel and never miss a video: http://bit.ly/1HrNTFd
Follow us on social media!
⭐️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/nationalgallery
⭐️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nationalgallerylondon
⭐️ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/thenationalgallery/
⭐️ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@nationalgallery
⭐️ X, formerly Twitter: https://twitter.com/NationalGallery
Help keep the museum accessible for everyone by supporting us here: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/support-us
The world's greatest paintings to your inbox. Sign up to receive the latest news from the Gallery: https://bit.ly/3m0FY98
The National Gallery houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The museum is free of charge and open 361 days per year, daily between 10am - 6pm and on Fridays between 10am - 9pm.
Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk