Rang Baranga is typical of Rasheed Araeen’s early geometric work, in which vertical and horizontal lines, held together by a network of diagonals, refer both to Eastern and Western culture. Born in Pakistan but based in Britain since 1964, Araeen was a pioneer in the development of minimalist sculpture in the UK. His practice, informed by his training in engineering, his Islamic background and a reaction to balanced, hierarchical compositions, was based in the use of symmetrical configurations which he believed should be the basis of a new sculpture. In his search for stable yet open structures, Araeen found inspiration in nature, particularly in the movement of fire and water. As a result of its lattice structure and colour, Rang Baranga is particularly evocative of the visual rippling effect characteristic to both of these movements.