LOT 57
RAPHAEL SCOTT AHBENG
B. Sarawak, 1939
July Survivor,1996
Signed, titled and dated “RSA ‘96 July Survivor” on lower right
Oil on board
43 x 73.5 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 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. Raphael illustrates massive trees with thick trunks, signifying the age of the tree its leaves are painted in subtle colours of autumn with occasional bursts of orange.