London’s Piccadilly is now displaying modern Islamic-inspired art

Rana Begum has created colourful flags that celebrate multiculturalism. 

London is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, from its music to its restaurant scene. Now, for Art of London’s Summer Season, the Royal Academy of Arts has unveiled its latest project, No.1273 Flag. The public piece has been created by Rana Begum, and draws its inspiration from Islamic art and architecture. 

No.1273 Flag aims to celebrate London as a multicultural melting pot. The colourful flags are hung across Piccadilly, which is a road leading to the Royal Academy of Arts. Each flag includes an intricate geometric pattern and meticulously tiled mosaic patterns. 

Rana Begum is a Royal Academician, and she has been selected to create the pieces for Art of London’s Summer Season. Her designs respond to the Art of Entertainment theme, and aim to capture the excitement of the city’s dance, music and theatre. 

Rana Begum explained: “It’s a privilege to work on this project and bring the colour and vibrancy of art out of galleries and into Piccadilly. The theme ‘Art of Entertainment’ suggests energy and dynamism, celebrating dance, music, and theatre. I wanted to use colour and geometry to capture this movement in my designs. 

“As you move through the space, the composition and colours shift to create a successive rhythm of tone and form. There’s a unifying melody that runs through the work, using repetition to suggest the possibility of the infinite.”

In March 2023, London put up its first Ramadan Lights. Located in the West End, which is in the heart of the city, the lights declared “Happy Ramadan”. The design included crescent moons, full moons and stars, and were created using 30,000 sustainable lights.

 No.1273 Flag will be on display until 20 August.

GO: Visit www.royalacademy.org.uk for more information.