The Rana Begum Room
During the summer of 2023, the London-based Bangladeshi-British artist Rana Begum transformed Room 538 in the SSE main building into an art installation and a learning environment that invites reflection.
Light and order are fundamental to Rana Begum’s artistic practice. In her minimalist and abstract work, she blurs the boundaries between sculpture, painting, and architecture. Her work reflects influences from urban environments as well as geometric patterns found in traditional Islamic art and architecture.
The Rana Begum Room at SSE is an installation of reflectors that refract the light in the space, creating a dynamic and changing visual experience.
Rana Begum graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art and Design in 1999 and received an MFA in Painting from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2002. She lives and works in London.
The room was made possible through a generous donation from SSE alum Dr. Anne Weidemanis Mägi (Class of 1987).
No. 1317 Reflector (2023) by Rana Begum—reflectors on aluminum, 275 × 1686 × 2—was installed in summer 2023 by the artist and her studio in collaboration with the installation team Kim Norström, Jenny Danielsson, and Simone Schmid (Konstkompaniet).
Reflection by SSE President Lars Strannegård
Rana Begum is a Bangladeshi-British artist whose work explores color, light, and reflection through a minimalist and three-dimensional approach. Her practice draws on traditions associated with modernism, while also engaging with influences from architecture and urban environments.
In developing the installation for the Stockholm School of Economics, Begum studied how light moves through the room over time. The shifting light conditions—throughout the day, across seasons, and within the building—play a central role in the experience of the space.
The installation reflects SSE’s educational mission FREE: to foster a fact- and science-based mindset, reflection and self-awareness, empathy and cultural literacy, and entrepreneurship and responsibility. Reflection, in this context, is essential to transforming information into knowledge and understanding.
The room’s reflective surfaces create a constantly changing environment. As light shifts, the perception of color and form changes, encouraging students to engage with the space from different perspectives. The installation supports a reflective approach to learning without distracting from teaching.
Text by Lars Strannegård, President and SSE Professor
