Of all the places around the world that inspired Raphael Scott Ahbeng’s colourful abstractions, his intimations of his hometown Bau, where he still lives, that’s most heartfelt and joyous. It’s a natural paradise: Surrounded by a mountain and greenery, there are caves, a lake, a hot-spring, and the Serikin weekend market. Under the light of the silvery moon, the darkened hill with patches of vegetation separates the sky with a patch of pinkish hues and a river, summarily drawn with a thin swishing stroke. A former gold-mining enclave which is just an hour’s drive from Kuching city, Bau is also where the Bidayuh, of whom Raphael is one, hold court. Bukit Singai (Singai Hill), some 550 metres above sea level, hosts the landmark Singai Catholic Church and Pilgrimage Retreat Centre. It was formerly settled by the Bisingai who worshipped the ancestral spirit, Ieng Sumuk Ieng Babai. Here, one can find a rare corpse plant with a nauseating smell, known locally as titan arum. From his secluded studio in Bau, Sarawak, Raphael Scott Ahbeng still paints on in 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 in 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, showcases the complete oeuvre of Raphael’s 60 years of work.