Lot 17 | Auction XXXVI

 

 

 

LOT 17

RAPHAEL SCOTT AHBENG

B. Sarawak, 1939

Kuching City, 2014

Signed, dated and titled “RSA 14, KUCHING CITY” on lower right

Oil on board

30.5 x 30.5 cm

Romi, 2014

Signed, dated and titled “RSA 14, ROMI” on lower right

Acrylic on board

30 x 30 cm

Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur

Raphael Scott Ahbeng has a particularly strong, individualist persona. He is mostly recognised for his energetic depictions of the Sarawakian rainforests and his bizarre interpretation of nature, making him distinct from his contemporaries. His abstract perspective of nature is not only robust, but also unusual and odd to those who are used to naturalistic ways of painting them. The canvas is decorated through heavy, forceful movements of the brush, creating an impactful piece that cannot be overlooked. It is loud; it is vigorous and filled with artistic value. His visual renditions of the nature of Kuching City and nature have once again pulled us into his whimsical world.