Using a distinctive blend of colours, Fort Margherita is envisioned through the artist’s perceptive eye. Built in 1879 by Sir Charles Brooke, the fort served multiple roles as a defensive stronghold and armoury. It was named in honour of his wife, Lady Margaret Brooke. The artist’s distinctive brushwork and colour palette is the result of continual experimentation.
From his secluded studio in Bau, Sarawak, Raphael Scott Ahbeng painted on a variety of subjects and styles, with his métier 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. His solo exhibition Legend: A Borneo Artist at Pinkguy Gallery, showcased the complete oeuvre of Raphael’s 60 years of work.