Anila Quayyum Agha’s ‘Intersections’ Sculpture Installed at Rice Gallery

Pakistani-American artist Anila Quayyum Agha has installed her impressive shadow sculpture Intersections at Rice Gallery. Inspired in part by her interpretation of patterns and images found in Islamic temples, the laser-cut 6.5′ square wood cube is illuminated from the inside by a blinding 600-watt light bulb that casts a dizzying shadow throughout the gallery. The piece becomes experiential as viewers who move through the space have the shadows cast on their bodies, incorporating themselves into the artwork. From Rice Gallery:

Intersections is inspired by Agha’s visit to the Alhambra, an Islamic palace originally built in 889 in Granada, Spain. Struck by the grandeur of the space, Agha reflected upon her childhood in Lahore, Pakistan where culture dictated that women were excluded from the mosque, a place of creativity and community, and instead prayed at home. As she explains, “To my amazement [I] discovered the complex expressions of both wonder and exclusion that have been my experience while growing up.” Agha translates these contradictory feelings into Intersections, a contemplative space of her own making that is open to all.

While we’ve shared photos of this piece before, Angela and Mark Walley of Walley Films were invited to do this insightful profile of Agha and her ArtPrize-winning installation, providing a deeper and immersive treatment than images alone. Intersections will be on view at Rice Gallery through December 6, 2015.

Photo by Nash Baker

Photo by Nash Baker

Photo by Nash Baker

Via This Is Colossal