Drawing from natural elements, Raphael Scott Ahbeng transforms his impressions of the surrounding landscape into remarkable explorations of gestures and colour. Raphael constructs radiant scenes composed of lyrical forms inspired by the forests, complemented with elaborate patterns and rich colours. His paintings evoke the memories and sensations of being in nature.
From his secluded studio in Bau, Sarawak, Raphael Scott Ahbeng painted on a variety of subjects and styles, with his metier being abstract. Given his first solo in 1954, he took up an Art and Photography course at the Bath Academy of Fine Art in England (1964-1967). He also took up Drama in London in 1973 under a Sarawak Government scholarship. His awards include 1st Prize in the Sarawak Shell Open (1959, 1982, 1983), and 3rd Prize in the Natural Malaysia art competition in Kuala Lumpur in 1991. A Bidayuh, RSA, as he is sometimes known, is an artist (professional since 1990), a teacher, a photographer, a newspaper cartoonist and a radio producer.