Ismaili Center, Houston
Work: No.1573 Reflectors
Location: Houston, USA
Date: 2025-26
No.1573 Reflectors is a large-scale installation which explores the idea of the infinite. Drawn from Begum’s reflector series, this commission belongs to a body of work that transforms the industrial material into luminous abstract compositions responsive to shifting light and movement. Building upon earlier works incorporating hazard tape, the series investigates repetition, geometry, and color, emphasizing the luminosity of the industrial material’s hexagonal pattern.
Photography by Saimila Momin, courtesy of Ismaili Center
Measuring nearly 20 feet high, the pink-and-white work is installed in the East Hall. The opportunity to work at this monumental scale allowed Begum to push the way repeated pattern could give a sense of the infinite, in response to the architecture. As natural and artificial light shifts throughout the day, the work’s reflective mosaic surface transforms in response, producing a constantly changing visual and spatial experience.
Thoughtfully integrated throughout the Center’s architecture and gardens, the permanent collection creates spaces for reflection and dialogue while encouraging personal interpretation and engagement across generations. Balancing traditional artistic influences with material innovation, the collection invites discourse on heritage, spirituality, and contemporary artistic expression.
Early in the collecting process, the Center’s Arts and Culture team prioritised works that would remain in active dialogue with the building’s architecture. One of the defining visual elements of the Center is light itself, from the central oculus to the expansive filtered windows that shape the building’s atmosphere throughout the day.
“In considering this relationship between architecture and light, we looked to Houston landmarks such as Twilight Epiphany by James Turrell and the paintings of Mark Rothko at the Rothko Chapel,”
“We were interested in working with an artist whose practice responds to both space and illumination. The work of Rana Begum, particularly her use of reflective surfaces and light-responsive materials, resonated strongly both visually and conceptually. Her work moves beyond language or direct representation of spirituality, instead creating an experiential encounter through light, perception, and atmosphere.”
Rozina Mussani, Director, Ismaili Center, Houston
