LOT 7
RAPHAEL SCOTT AHBENG
B. Sarawak, 1939 – 2019
Seaside
Oil on canvas
60 x 90 cm
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
Signed and titled “RSA Seaside” on lower right
RM 6,000 – 12,000
Nature and landscapes are two things that Raphael Scott Ahbeng holds dear to his heart. In classic Ahbeng style, he expresses his love for the solitary environments with a stunning painting of the seaside.
“Painting is a way of expressing my feelings. I like to paint good things that give viewers a good feeling, and make them think and feel rejuvenated,” said Ahbeng. That seems evident in this piece as he does incite the soothing and calm atmosphere that only being physically present at the seaside can only provide. With intense colouring and bold strokes, the display of the forms and colours instantaneously create an aura calmness and comfort. In this piece Ahbeng depicts his true spirit and adoration for nature, all the while injecting bits and pieces of his personality.
Raphael Scott Ahbeng, a Bidayuh, hails from Sarawak and is one of the most prominent Borneo artists. He attended Bath Academy of Art in Britain, where he studied Art and Photography. He won the First Prize for the Sarawak Shell Open art competition in 1959, 1982 and 1983 Third Prize in the Natural Malaysia art competition in Kuala Lumpur in 1991.