EXHIBITION
The Continuum:
3 Generasi
Curator's Note
The Continuum: 3 Generasi is a group exhibition that celebrates the legacy and creative journey of Sarawak's Bumiputera artists across three generations. At the centre is the lasting influence of the late Raphael Scott AhBeng, a pioneering Bidayuh artist whose deep connection to nature and culture helped in shaping modern art in Sarawak.
His legacy lives on through the works of two contemporary talents - Bidayuh artist Sylvester Wielding Jussem, and Faizuan Mat, a Malay Sarawakian. Through their creative pursuit, they carry forward a conversation in art that spans time, style, and identity.
Raphael was known for his bold, abstract landscapes. His use of sweeping brushstrokes and vibrant colours captured not just the rainforest, but the feeling and spirit of the land. Inspired by his Bidayuh heritage, he perceived nature as sacred - a vessel of memory and meaning.
Sylvester builds on this vision by drawing from Bidayuh traditions. His artworks include cultural symbols such as pusat bedus, ring ladies, and traditional textiles. With a style uniquely his own, Sylvester preserves Bidayuh stories while reimagining them through a modern lens.
Faizuan takes on a more abstract and expressive approach. His paintings explore natural elements like wind, water, and the benak (tidal bore). Using layered textures and flowing marks, his work conveys a deep emotional connection to the environment and concerns for nature's transformations.
Together, these three artists form a creative bridge between generations.
This show invites us to reflect on how heritage, identity, and the natural landscape continue to inspire Sarawak's art. It is a story of tradition, transformation, and continuity - told through the voices of three artists and the land they honour.
- Dr Mohamad Faizuan bin Mat
Gallery
The Continuum: 3 Generasi is a reflection of artistic influences across time - It tells a story on how creative legacies were passed down, reimagined and redefined, with transformation through three generations of Sarawakian artists.
At the heart of this show are artists Sylvester Wielding Jussem and Dr Faizuan Mat, bringing forth their creation into this gallery. Under the tutelage of the late Raphael Scott AhBeng, Sylvester carries the essence of his teachings, a quiet tribute to his mentor who influences still lives through every brushstrokes. Faizuan on the other hand, reflects his long-standing mentorship with Sylvester through evolution of his abstract works, exploring themes of cultural identity, nature and materiality.
The Continuum marks Hoan Gallery's second group art exhibition for 2025 - a testament to its ongoing commitment in nurturing and celebrating Sarawak's emerging and established talents.
Raphael Scott AhBeng
(b. 1939 - 2019)
Raphael Scott AhBeng was one of the pioneering artist of Bidayuh descent. Known for his bold, abstract landscapes, his works remained rooted in Sarawak's natural and cultural heritage. The late Raphael was also the first Bidayuh recipient to be awarded with a scholarship to the Bath Academy of Art in England in 1964. Having spanned a career of 60 years, Raphael remains as one of Malaysia's most celebrated artists.
Sylvester Wielding Jussem
(b.1960)
Sylvester Wielding Jussem is a semi abstract Bidayuh artist from Bau, Sarawak. With special interest in research, his subjects mainly reflects on traditional Bornean cultural experiences, attained from his travels. A senior lecturer at the Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts UNIMAS, Sylvester has exhibited widely around Malaysia and abroad. A former protege of the late Raphael, Sylvester has nurtured his style into his works, while still carrying the essence of his late mentor.
"Through the lens of illustration and painting, I translate stories embedded in ethnuc arts and culture into a personal semi-abstract visual language; one shaped by travel, tradition, and an ever-evolving dialogue between past and present."
Dr Mohamad Faizuan bin Mat
(b.1982)
Sarawakian artist Dr Faizuan is a man of many hats. He is a senior lecturer at UNIMAS, and also the Deputy Director for the Institute of Creative Arts and Technology (iCreaTe). A mentee of Sylvester, Dr Faizuan abstract works dives into the themes of cultural identity, nature, and materiality, often bridging academic inquiry with artistic practices. His works have been exhibited locally and internationally, and he had represented Malaysia in the CuratorsLAB Program from 2015 to 2017.
