Lot 88 | Auction XIV

LOT 88

RAPHAEL SCOTT AHBENG
(B. Sarawak, 1939)

Judgement Day in Sarawak, 2003

Signed, titled and dated
“RSA Judgement day in Sarawak 2003” on lower right
Oil on board
30.5 x 22.5 cm

Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
Illustrated on page 52 of “Eastern Horizon by Raphael Scott AhBeng” exhibition catalogue
Published in 2014 by KL Lifestyle Art Space

SOLD – RM 3,360

Ominous clouds loom over the colourful forests and nature. It is known to whoever is familiar with Raphael Scott AhBeng’s works that his interpretation of nature was different from the rest of his contemporaries.

They have been modified into something that is purely AhBeng’s style – atypical and bizarre. These modifications, his reinterpretations are not unwelcome. In fact, they appeal to the eyes and the emotions. His visual renditions of Nature turn out to be a spectacular surge of colours, as seen in this piece. The elements of nature here are depicted in different colours, as if separated through categories. Another way AhBeng’s works charm the viewer is through the subtle, meandering way it catches the eye. It does not give off an immediate reply to a question, but it beckons the viewer to come and dissect the hidden meaning and blend of colours.