LOT 66
RAPHAEL SCOTT AHBENG
B. Sarawak, 1939 – 2019
Moon Sheath, 2012
Oil on canvas
92 x 62 cm
Signed, dated and titled “RSA 12, Moon Sheath” on lower right
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Kuching, Sarawak
RM 3,000 – 9,000
The late artist’s work, entitled Moon Sheath, depicts a full moon at the centre of the painting, amid a stream of blue to resemble the night sky and a frenzy of shapes frame either side of the work. If you take a step back, it’s almost as if the artist portrayed a point of view where one is lying on the ground while surrounded by giant trees, looking up into the night sky.
Raphael Scott Ahbeng was born in Bau in 1939 and was one of the most renowned abstract artists that Malaysia has ever produced. Educated in the UK at the Bath Academy of Art, Raphael was known for his large canvases of overlapping light-coloured mountains which exude an airy feel.Before turning to paintings full-time, he was once a teacher, cartoonist and a radio producer. Nature and landscapes are two things that RaphaelScott AhBeng holds dear to his heart. In classic AhBeng style, he expresses his love for the solitary environments with a stunning painting. In this piece AhBeng depicts his true spirit and adoration for nature, all the while injecting bits and pieces of his personality.