Laser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive Installations

Influenced by the ornate decor of Islamic mosaics and architecture, Anila Quayyum Agha creates large-scale installations that utilize the power of light and shadow to transform a room. Laser-cut steel structures, like her seminal work “Intersections,” take a simple cube as a starting point. The artist incises elaborate patterns from the surface, then situates a light inside, which casts shadows onto the surrounding walls.

Anila Quayyum Agha: Geometry of Light, which opens later this month at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, marks the first time the Pakistani-American artist’s work has been exhibited in the Pacific Northwest. Based in Indianapolis, she is known for exploring the ever-evolving relationships between cultural identity, gender, art, and spirituality.

a sculptural installation in a red room, with light emitting from within a structure that casts ornate shadows onto the walls
“A Beautiful Despair (Blue)” (2021), lacquered steel and halogen bulb, 60 x 60 x 60 inches. Image courtesy of Sundaram Tagore Gallery, NYC, © the artist. Photo courtesy of Masterpiece Art Fair, London

“Through the use of light and color, the artist’s ornate designs have the ability to turn spaces into ethereal environments reminiscent of traditional sacred spaces through the use of lanterns or mashrabiya, wooden lattice screens that diffuse light, casting intricate shadows while allowing for the flow of air and creating intimacy,” the museum says.

Geometry of Light will include three of Agha’s space-transforming installations, plus a number of framed, mixed-media paper works. The exhibition runs from August 27 to April 19, 2026, and you can find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

a sculptural installation in a violet room, with light emitting from within a structure that casts ornate shadows onto the walls
“This is Not a refuge! (2)” (2019), laser-cut, resin-coated aluminum and light bulb, 93 x 58 x 72 inches. Courtesy of Sundaram Tagore Gallery, NYC, © the artist. Photo courtesy of Columbia Museum, Columbia, North Carolina
a sculptural installation in a yellow room, with light emitting from within a structure that casts ornate shadows onto the walls
“A Beautiful Despair (Blue)” (2021), lacquered steel and halogen bulb, 60 x 60 x 60 inches. Image courtesy of Sundaram Tagore Gallery, NYC, © the artist. Photo by Steve Watson / Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth
an elaborate cut-out set against a yellow wall, with light shining through to cast ornate shadows onto the wall
“Liminal Space” (2021), laser-cut and lacquered steel, 65 x 65 inches. Image courtesy of Sundaram Tagore Gallery, NYC, © the artist. Photo by Steve Watson / Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth
a detail of an installation of an elaborate cut-out set against a yellow wall, with light shining through to cast ornate shadows onto the wall
Detail of “Liminal Space” (2021). Photo by Steve Watson / Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth
a sculptural installation in a yellow room, with light emitting from within a structure that casts ornate shadows onto the walls
“This is Not a refuge! (2)” (2019), laser-cut, resin-coated aluminum and light bulb, 93 x 58 x 72 inches. Courtesy of Sundaram Tagore Gallery, NYC, © the artist. Photo courtesy of Masterpiece Art Fair, London

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Laser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive Installations appeared first on Colossal.

©

Related Posts

Laser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive InstallationsLaser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive Installations
This high-temperature steam + vacuum spot cleaner...
Using a patented process that bombards dirt with high-pressure water...
Read more
Laser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive InstallationsLaser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive Installations
Am I blue? Not with a coffee...
Veneziano Coffee Roasters’ Perth Studio is a standout project that...
Read more
Laser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive InstallationsLaser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive Installations
Top 10 Best Small Business Credit Card...
Updated December 2022. Do you have small business income or...
Read more
Modern café interior with green tile benches, round tables, pink and green seating, potted plants, and a pastel color scheme. Cups, plates, and flowers are arranged on the tables.Modern café interior with green tile benches, round tables, pink and green seating, potted plants, and a pastel color scheme. Cups, plates, and flowers are arranged on the tables.
5 Ways Maison&Objet Will Capture the Pulse...
Anyone with a big appetite for playful design will feel a...
Read more
Laser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive InstallationsLaser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive Installations
Wardle’s new workplace where three heritage buildings...
Imagine how thorough every project would be if the architects...
Read more
Laser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive InstallationsLaser-Cut Steel Forms Radiate Ornate Patterns in Anila Quayyum Agha’s Immersive Installations
Burning Man 2026 Built a 300-Ring Light...
One person shouting into an empty desert doesn’t build much...
Read more