SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR Paintings & Artwork for Sale | SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR Art Value Price Guide

Mar. 23, 2025
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO’ : Image SF 2, 2012
Est: RM15,000 - RM35,000
As an artist that frequently uses her thoughts, emotions and feelings as substance for her abstract work, her artworks usually turn out to be a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Such as the matters of the heart and mind, it is never clear, rarely uncluttered and most definitely not immaculate. This piece resonates vibrancy, liveliness and vivacity. It is done in her usual loud-on-loud and contrasting colours, featuring daring streaks, blocks and lines to handsomely frame the bold-coloured fragments and shapes. It is a discourse between nature and man, and it can be likened to seeking solitude in nature. Not one to shy away from colours, the artist’s works are often described as lyrically symbolic featuring a myriad of colours. Dato’ Sharifah was a former student of UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA), Malaysia, Reading University in England and Pratt Institute in the United States respectively. Whilst curating at the National Art Gallery in 1982 for seven years, she was awarded the Salon Malaysia Competition’s Major Award and the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists Competition as well
KLAS Art Auction
Dec. 08, 2024
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Untitled 4, 2015
Est: RM48,000 - RM68,000
In this mesmerising piece, forms inspired by nature are rendered in prismatic colours consisting of blue, red, green and yellow hues. A tranquil flow of movement is evoked through the interception of calligraphic-like shapes that form a lyrical pattern across the canvas. This work is a prime example of her captivating abstractions on canvas. As the first batch of fine-art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), graduating in 1971, Dato' Sharifah Fatimah served notice of her huge potential when she won the hugely coveted Major Award in the 1979 Salon Malaysia, though she had clinched the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972, the year she held her first solo in Singapore. In 1981, she won a Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. Her career path was simply astonishing. Upon graduation from ITM, she achieved her BFA at Reading University, England in 1976, and an MFA at Pratt Institute, New York, in 1978, under the JDR III Fund fellowship. Her international accolade was a 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. In 2006, the Sultan of Kedah conferred a Dato'ship on her.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 27, 2024
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Untitled, 2022
Est: RM18,000 - RM27,000
As an artist that frequently uses her thoughts, emotions and feelings as substance for her abstract work, her artworks usually turn out to be a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Such as the matters of the heart and mind, it is never clear, rarely uncluttered and most definitely not immaculate. With this piece she exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within. It is a piece that says “although outside you may seem calm and collected, the inside is a different story”. Dato’ Sharifah was a former student of UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA), Malaysia, Reading University in England and Pratt Institute in the United States respectively. Whilst curating at the National Art Gallery in 1982 for seven years, she was awarded the Salon Malaysia Competition’s Major Award and the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists Competition as well.
KLAS Art Auction
Aug. 25, 2024
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Eucalyptus Series, 2017
Est: RM4,500 - RM6,500
Like a phalanx of lolling figures, strips of the eucalyptus, fibrous and stringy, intersperse with the painterly, either flat or lined, in Dato' Sharifah Fatimah's Song Of Eucalyptus series. It shows that the First Lady of Modern Malaysian Art and Abstraction was still game to venture into new terrain, incorporating new medium into her repertoire like her previous use of modelling past (Touch The Earth) and her devotional Garden of the Heart series. This tactile Nature-in-Painting started when Sharifah had a solo at the Pipal Fine Art's Canton Place in Guangzhou, China, where she saw the huge potential of the eucalyptus. That was in March 2014. She took loads of the barks back then and also in a subsequent trip. Back home, these works were shown first in limited range at The Edge Gallery in May-June 2015, and then in full regalia, at the Segaris Art Centre in 2017. The eucalyptus added a sense of raw beauty and antiquity, revealing Nature in all its complexity and vulnerability. Dato' Sharifah Fatimah is not dubbed the First Lady of Modern Malaysian Art for nothing: A pioneer art student (Mara Institute of Technology); Awards such as Salon Malaysia (Major Award, 1979), Young Contemporary Artists (Minor Award, 1981), Malaysian Landscape (Minor Award; and 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial (Iran, 2003). She was conferred the Dato'ship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006 and the Women of Excellence Award Malaysia in 2014. Academically, she got her BFA at Reading University and MFA at the Pratt Institute (New York), under the John D. Rockefeller III fellowship. Her salient series includes Nursiyah (Black Light), Chasm of Light, Mindscape, Joy Is The Theme, Celebration, Pancawarna, Touch The Earth, Garden of the Heart, and Song of the Eucalyptus.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 25, 2024
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Dancing Light, 2008
Est: RM65,000 - RM100,000
A magic conjunction of poetry, music and fine art at its most glorious, with the intriguing blend of red, green and blue, the mood at times coquettish, at times teasingly adversarial with the core shapes hinged in the central matrix. Called Dancing Light, it is connected to Dato' Sharifah Fatimah's multi-spectrum Pancawarna series. The adumbrating sidelights of colours with the translucent light simulate movements, rhythms, even dance, and oh, Life! The resonance of the wind, the rustling leaves and the fresh breath of vegetation make this paean to Nature an equivocal epiphany. Dato' Sharifah Fatimah is not dubbed the First Lady of Modern Malaysian Art for nothing: A pioneer art student (Mara Institute of Technology); Awards such as Salon Malaysia (Major Award, 1979), Young Contemporary Artists (Minor Award, 1981), Malaysian Landscape (Minor Award; and 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial (Iran, 2003). She was conferred the Dato'ship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006 and the Women of Excellence Award Malaysia in 2014. Academically, she got her BFA at Reading University and MFA at the Pratt Institute (New York), under the John D. Rockefeller III fellowship. Her salient series includes Nursiyah (Black Light), Chasm of Light, Mindscape, Joy Is The Theme, Celebration, Pancawarna, Touch The Earth, Garden of the Heart, and Song of the Eucalyptus.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
May. 26, 2024
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Untitled, 2022
Est: RM18,000 - RM26,000
Dato’ Sharifah was a former student of UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA), Malaysia, Reading University in England and Pratt Institute in the United States respectively. Whilst curating at the National Art Gallery in 1982 for seven years, she was awarded the Salon Malaysia Competition’s Major Award and the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists Competition as well.
KLAS Art Auction
May. 19, 2024
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Untitled, 1990s
Est: RM3,000 - RM5,000
Bold green hues were used in this composition, decorated with unique textures created by bold brushstrokes. Dato' Sharifah's interest in the treatment of space is expressed through elegant brushwork that traverse across the canvas. As the first batch of fine-art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), graduating in 1971, Dato' Sharifah Fatimah served notice of her huge potential when she won the hugely coveted Major Award in the 1979 Salon Malaysia, though she had clinched the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972, the year she held her first solo in Singapore. In 1981, she won a Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. Her career path was simply astonishing. Upon graduation from ITM, she achieved her BFA at Reading University, England in 1976, and an MFA at Pratt Institute, New York, in 1978, under the JDR III Fund fellowship. Her international accolade was a 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. In 2006, the Sultan of Kedah conferred a Dato'ship on her.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
May. 19, 2024
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Untitled, 1990s
Est: RM14,500 - RM22,500
An assortment of lyrical shapes is created with expressive brushstrokes, reflecting Dato' Sharifah's interest in the delineation of inner spaces. A great sense of refinement in the composition is achieved through the arrangement of light and dark colours, and exploration of positive and negative space. The feeling of movement is enhanced with swift, forceful strokes applied onto the surface. As the first batch of fine-art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), graduating in 1971, Dato' Sharifah Fatimah served notice of her huge potential when she won the hugely coveted Major Award in the 1979 Salon Malaysia, though she had clinched the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972, the year she held her first solo in Singapore. In 1981, she won a Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. Her career path was simply astonishing. Upon graduation from ITM, she achieved her BFA at Reading University, England in 1976, and an MFA at Pratt Institute, New York, in 1978, under the JDR III Fund fellowship. Her international accolade was a 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. In 2006, the Sultan of Kedah conferred a Dato'ship on her.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
May. 19, 2024
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Wondering 4, 2006-2008
Est: RM65,000 - RM100,000
One of the most prominent abstract expressionist artists in Malaysia, Dato' Sharifah Fatimah is known for her poetic and colourful works on canvas. She strove to create a distinctive style of painting through an insightful exploration of space influenced by her reflections on spirituality. Wondering 4 contains rhythmic abstract forms derived from her intuitive perception carefully balanced across the pictorial surface. Dato' Sharifah Fatimah had her later art tutelage on both sides of the Atlantic, first at Reading University in England (1973-1976) and then for her MFA at Pratt Institute in New York (1976-1978). She was from the pioneering batch of fine art students graduating from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), in 1971. Her major triumph was the Major Award in the 1979 Salon Malaysia, apart from the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981 and the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972. On the international stage, she won 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. For her achievements and contributions to art, she was conferred a Dato'ship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jan. 14, 2024
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Untitled
Est: RM5,500 - RM7,000
During Dato' Sharifah Fatimah's visit to the Petra ruins in Jordan in 1992, she came up with a tactile and subdued colour palette, incorporating the use of modelling paste. The artist used the technique not only as “majestic markings of antiquity” to interpret the location, but also as a vehicle to express her affinity with nature. Graceful, bold sweeps of palette knife executed in varied colours contrasts with a dark backdrop all boxed by thick bars on all four sides. Dato' Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir graduated from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university) in 1971. She studied for her BFA at the Reading University, England, in 1973-1976, and her MFA at the Pratt Institute, New York, in 1976-1978, under the JDR III Fund fellowship. She won the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972 and the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. In 1979, she won the coveted Major Award in the Salon Malaysia 1979. She also won 3rd Prize in the 2003 Biennial of Contemporary Painting of the Islamic World, Teheran. For her tremendous contributions, she was conferred a Dato'ship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jan. 14, 2024
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Song Of Eucalyptus 23, 2017
Est: RM36,000 - RM50,000
Dato' Sharifah Fatimah's solo exhibition, Song Of Eucalyptus was held at Segaris Art Centre, Kuala Lumpur in 2017. Song Of Eucalyptus series is one of the artist's most distinct representations consisting of elegant patterns in luminous and pulsating colours. The lyrical orchestration of freeing shapes and seamless integration of the eucalyptus bark enhances the visual perception of forms. Dato' Sharifah Fatimah had her art tutelage on both sides of the Atlantic, first at Reading University in England (1973-1976) and then for her MFA at Pratt Institute in New York (1976-1978). She was from the pioneering batch of fine art students graduating from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), in 1971. Her major triumph was the Major Award in the 1979 Salon Malaysia, apart from the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981 and the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972. On the international stage, she won 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. For her achievements and contributions to art, she was conferred a Dato'ship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 01, 2023
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Evening Glow, 1990s
Est: RM33,000 - RM50,000
Evening Glow offers a captivating interpretation of nature, reflecting the meditative, inner landscapes of the mind. Graceful, pure forms with delicate textures arranged on the surface were carefully treated in variations of colour. The enigmatic forms were embedded within the pictorial space, reflecting her mastery of colour and texture. As the first batch of fine-art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), graduating in 1971, Dato' Sharifah Fatimah served notice of her huge potential when she won the hugely coveted Major Award in the 1979 Salon Malaysia, though she had clinched the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972, the year she held her first solo in Singapore. In 1981, she won a Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. Her career path was simply astonishing. Upon graduation from ITM, she achieved her BFA at Reading University, England in 1976, and MFA at Pratt Institute, New York, in 1978, under the JDR III Fund fellowship. Her international accolade was a 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. In 2006, the Sultan of Kedah conferred a Dato'ship on her.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 01, 2023
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Morning Glow, 1990s
Est: RM33,000 - RM50,000
In Morning Glow, rhythmic movement enhanced with brushwork was used to create mood and atmosphere. Her focus on the treatment of space is expressed through elegant brushwork that traverse across the canvas. There is a sense of anchoring stability in the horizontal bottom phalanx. As the first batch of fine-art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), graduating in 1971, Dato' Sharifah Fatimah served notice of her huge potential when she won the hugely coveted Major Award in the 1979 Salon Malaysia, though she had clinched the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972, the year she held her first solo in Singapore. In 1981, she won a Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. Her career path was simply astonishing. Upon graduation from ITM, she achieved her BFA at Reading University, England in 1976, and MFA at Pratt Institute, New York, in 1978, under the JDR III Fund fellowship. Her international accolade was a 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. In 2006, the Sultan of Kedah conferred a Dato'ship on her.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Sep. 24, 2023
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Kenangan Series, late 90’s
Est: RM5,000 - RM8,000
Dato’ Sharifah was a former student of UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA), Malaysia, Reading University in England and Pratt Institute in the United States respectively. Whilst curating at the National Art Gallery in 1982 for seven years, she was awarded the Salon Malaysia Competition’s Major Award and the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists Competition as well.
KLAS Art Auction
Sep. 24, 2023
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Kenangan Series, late 90’s
Est: RM5,000 - RM8,000
As an artist that frequently uses her thoughts, emotions and feelings as substance for her abstract works, Dato Sharifah Fatimah’s artworks usually turn out to be a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Such as the matters of the heart and mind, it is never clear, rarely uncluttered and most definitely not immaculate. She exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within.
KLAS Art Auction
Sep. 24, 2023
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Earthscape, 1994
Est: RM6,000 - RM9,000
Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir often creates artworks that resonate with her thoughts and emotions at the time, and her works result in something abstract and subjective to the viewer. This piece, governed by red, perhaps is a metaphor for passion. Red is known for being the colour of force, spirit as it pieces together the rest of the articles in this frame, bits and pieces of other colours such as blue and green, each signifying a different kind of emotion or thought. In the end, despite the many thoughts and emotions, passion is what strings them together into a perfect composition.
KLAS Art Auction
Sep. 24, 2023
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Untitled, 1990
Est: RM38,000 - RM60,000
As an artist that frequently uses her thoughts, emotions and feelings as substance for her abstract work, her artworks usually turn out to be a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Such as the matters of the heart and mind, it is never clear, rarely uncluttered and most definitely not immaculate. With this piece she exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within. It is a piece that says “although outside you may seem calm and collected, the inside is a different story”. Dato’ Sharifah was a former student of UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA), Malaysia, Reading University in England and Pratt Institute in the United States respectively. Whilst curating at the National Art Gallery in 1982 for seven years, she was awarded the Salon Malaysia Competition’s Major Award and the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists Competition as well.
KLAS Art Auction
Sep. 24, 2023
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Expression Series, mid 1990’s
Est: RM5,000 - RM8,000
Dato Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir’s “Expression Series,” conceived during the mid-1990s, stands as an arresting testament to the artist’s profound engagement with the human psyche. Through an interplay of intricate brushwork and a nuanced colour palette, Zubir navigates the depths of emotional terrain. Her canvases become a canvas of introspection, where gestural strokes and chromatic layers coalesce in a dance of raw sentiment. In this series, Zubir masterfully employs chiaroscuro contrasts, guiding the viewer’s gaze across the contours of ethereal forms that seem to emerge from the very fabric of thought. The artist’s adept manipulation of negative space and texture conjures an enigmatic aura, hinting at the untold stories that reside within the recesses of each piece.
KLAS Art Auction
Jan. 11, 2023
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir (b. Kedah, 1948) Untitled
Est: RM14,000 - RM20,000
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir (b. Kedah, 1948) Untitled
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
May. 29, 2022
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO' : Leaves, Circa 1976
Est: RM1,500 - RM3,000
Seemingly out of character for an artist whose affinity is vivid colours, this departure from Sharifah Fatimah’s forte is intriguing. Dark and edgy, created through etching, ‘Leaves, circa 1976’ leaves much to viewer’s interpretation.
KLAS Art Auction
May. 29, 2022
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO' : Untitled, Circa 1975
Est: RM3,000 - RM8,000
This distinct work by the maestro herself exhibits her typical vivid colours, however, the composition of the painting departs from her usual. This special work, crafted circa 1975 when she was still studying at the Reading University, England and found her footing in the art industry. “We live our true lives in the depths of our hearts, not in the superficial masks of personality which we show to the world,” said Dato’ Sharifah.She exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within. It is a piece that says although outside you may seem calm and collected, the inside is a different story. She is a prominent abstract artist in Malaysia and she belongs to the group of artists of the 70’s era.
KLAS Art Auction
Oct. 03, 2021
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO' : Greenscape, 1987
Est: RM45,000 - RM75,000
This piece resonates vibrancy, liveliness and vivacity. It is done in her usual loud-on-loud and contrasting colours, featuring daring streaks, blocks and lines to handsomely frame the bold-coloured fragments and shapes. It is a discourse between nature and man, and it can be likened to seeking solitude in nature, the greens, blues and warm washes of red each representing different types of the elements of flora and fauna. Not one to shy away from colours, the artist’s works are often described as lyrically symbolic featuring a myriad of colours.
KLAS Art Auction
Aug. 22, 2021
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. Kedah, 1958) Reflection VI, 2006-2008
Est: RM48,000 - RM80,000
Masterfully structured, Reflection VI illustrates segments of gorgeously mixed prismatic colours, pulsating in isolated entities. The artist has intended to use colours to depict music, its rhythm determined by vibrant tones. Blue, green, red and yellow harmoniously compose a soothing picture. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah is known for her unique abstract art infused with divine truth, lyrical symbolism and a spectrum of local colours. She was the Best Student when she graduated from the Mara Institute of Technology in 1971, which she followed up with a First Class Honours for her BFA at Reading University, England in 1976 and her Masters under the JDR III Fund Fellowship at Pratt Institute in New York from 1976 to 1978. She had solos all over the world since she held her first solo show at Alpha Gallery, Singapore in 1972. She has won several prestigious awards including the Minor Award, Malaysian Landscapes (1972), the Major Award, Salon Malaysia (1979), and the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artist in 1981. A curator with the National Art Gallery from 1982 to 1989, she has been a full-time artist since 1990. In 2006, she was bestowed the ‘Dato’ title by the Sultan of Kedah — the first woman artist to have been honoured for her artistic merit. She held a solo exhibition titled Recent Works at The Edge Galerie, Kuala Lumpur in 2015.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 15, 2021
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO' : Untitled, Circa 1975
Est: RM3,000 - RM8,000
This distinct work by the maestro herself exhibits her typical vivid colours, however, the composition of the painting departs from her usual. This special work, crafted circa 1975 when she was still studying at the Reading University, England and found her footing in the art industry. “We live our true lives in the depths of our hearts, not in the superficial masks of personality which we show to the world,” said Dato’ Sharifah.She exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within. It is a piece that says although outside you may seem calm and collected, the inside is a different story. She is a prominent abstract artist in Malaysia and she belongs to the group of artists of the 70’s era. Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir was born in Alor Setar, Kedah. She received her early education in Alor Setar. After completing her schooling, Sharifah Fatimah continued her studies at the Mara Institute of Technology (ITM) in 1967 specialising in Fine Arts. She received her Diploma in Fine Arts in 1971, and at the same time she also received the award as the Best Student of Mara Institute of Technology. After completing her studies at the Mara Institute of Technology, Sharifah Fatimah continued her studies at Reading University, England in 1973 and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1976. In 1978, Sharifah obtained her Master’s degree in the field of Fine Arts from Dratt Institute, New York.
KLAS Art Auction
Mar. 21, 2021
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato’ (b. Kedah, 1948) Song Of Longing II, 1992
Est: RM5,000 - RM9,000
An accomplished abstract painter, Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah’s “lyrical abstraction” style distinguishes herself from others. Her technique involves multi-coloured layers of paint typically in red, green, purple and blue that are applied to form geometrical yet organic shapes. The rough texture enhances its aesthetic beauty. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir was from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now Universiti Teknologi Mara) in 1967 and graduated with a diploma in 1971. She enrolled in a course in fine arts at Reading University in England in 1973 and graduated with first class honours. She completed her postgraduate studies at the Pratt Institute in New York in 1976 with a John D Rockefeller III Fund Fellowship. She took a museum management course at City University of London in 1987 while she was a curator-coordinator at the National Art Gallery Malaysia from 1982 to 1990. During her stint at the institution, she curated Ibrahim Hussein’s exhibition, A Retrospective.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 21, 2021
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato’ (b. Kedah, 1948) The Link, 1999
Est: RM50,000 - RM80,000
The Link title recurs like a monogram in Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir’s oeuvre throughout the 1990s right into the early 2000s. It’s a ruminative séance into some novel sensations with or sans some nebulous place, invariably always, the central link or clasp encapsulating whispers or laughter, and with echoes emanating thence. The ‘knot’ is deceptively structured but could break into loose tendrils like one in 2003. No need to get over- fixated with what the titles portend, but the alchemy of colours and pulsating forms lulling in a kind of harmonious resolution. Dubbed the First Lady of Malaysian Art, Dato' Sharifah has an unrivalled posse of works since graduating from the pioneering batch of students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university) in 1971. Her academic scrolls extended to a BFA (Reading University, England, 1973-1976), and MFA (Pratt Institute, New York, 1976-1978), under the JDR III Fund fellowship. Her promised latent talent was shown in 1972 when she won the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition. Two major awards followed – the Major Award in the Salons Malaysia in 1979, and the 1981 Bakat Muda Sezaman award. In 2007, she was conferred the Dato’ title by the Sultan of Kedah. A staple of the Utara group, she held her first solo at the Alpha Gallery in Singapore in 1972.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Dec. 13, 2020
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO' : Greenscape, 2019
Est: RM3,500 - RM5,500
As an artist that frequently uses her thoughts, emotions and feelings as substance for her abstract work, her artworks usually turn out to be a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Such as the matters of the heart and mind, it is never clear, rarely uncluttered and most definitely not immaculate. “We live our true lives in the depths of our hearts, not in the superficial masks of personality which we show to the world,” said Dato’ Sharifah.She exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within. It is a piece that says “although outside you may seem calm and collected, the inside is a different story”.
KLAS Art Auction
Nov. 15, 2020
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato’ (b. Kedah, 1948) Reflection VI, 1995
Est: RM58,000 - RM88,000
Masterfully structured, Reflection VI illustrates segments of gorgeously mixed prismatic colours, pulsating in isolated entities. The artist has intended to use colours to depict music, its rhythm determined by vibrant tones. Blue, green, red and yellow harmoniously compose a soothing picture. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah is known for her unique abstract art infused with divine truth, lyrical symbolism and a spectrum of local colours. She was the Best Student when she graduated from the Mara Institute of Technology in 1971, which she followed up with a First Class Honours for her BFA at Reading University, England in 1976 and her Masters under the JDR III Fund Fellowship at Pratt Institute in New York from 1976 to 1978. She had solos all over the world since she held her first solo show at Alpha Gallery, Singapore in 1972. She has won several prestigious awards including the Minor Award, Malaysian Landscapes (1972), the Major Award, Salon Malaysia (1979), and the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artist in 1981. A curator with the National Art Gallery from 1982 to 1989, she has been a full-time artist since 1990. In 2006, she was bestowed the ‘Dato’ title by the Sultan of Kedah — the first woman artist to have been honoured for her artistic merit. She held a solo exhibition titled Recent Works at The Edge Galerie, Kuala Lumpur in 2015.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 08, 2020
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO' : Untitled, 2018
Est: RM8,000 - RM16,000
Dato Sharifah Fatimah was born in Kedah in 1958 and is without doubt one of the greatest women artists in Malaysia today. She is not one to shy away from employing vibrant colours to her work as many of her pieces resemble a unique discourse between man and nature, seeking solitude in the greens, blues and warm washes of red representing the various elements of flora and fauna. She exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within. This particular piece resonates vibrancy, liveliness and vivacity. It is done in her usual loud-on-loud and contrasting colours, featuring daring streaks, blocks and lines to handsomely frame the bold-coloured fragments and shapes.
KLAS Art Auction
Sep. 06, 2020
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Greenscape, 1987
Est: RM35,000 - RM70,000
This piece resonates vibrancy, liveliness and vivacity. It is done in her usual loud-on-loud and contrasting colours, featuring daring streaks, blocks and lines to handsomely frame the bold-coloured fragments and shapes. It is a discourse between nature and man, and it can be likened to seeking solitude in nature, the greens, blues and warm washes of red each representing different types of the elements of flora and fauna. Not one to shy away from colours, the artist’s works are often described as lyrically symbolic featuring a myriad of colours.
KLAS Art Auction
Sep. 06, 2020
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Untitled, 1999
Est: RM3,000 - RM7,000
“We live our true lives in the depths of our hearts, not in the superficial masks of personality which we show to the world,” said Dato’ Sharifah. She is an artist who translates her thoughts, emotions, feelings onto her abstract works, which usually results as a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Through this piece, the artist showcases true matters of the heart, mind and soul, as well as the incessant though processes while exhibiting their garish colours deep within. It’s a piece that says although you seem calm and collected, there is a flurry within.
KLAS Art Auction
Aug. 23, 2020
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato’ (b. Kedah, 1948) Image SF-6; Image SF-2
Est: RM7,800 - RM13,800
Colours and the play of light are the main components of Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah’s work. For her, colour is energy while light symbolises existence. The artist manifests the dynamic interactions of colours, combining elegant strokes applied in multiple directions. She is strongly influenced by Nature’s movements, producing contemplative works which suggest an underlying philosophical ideal. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir is without doubt one of the greatest women artists in Malaysia today, with a body of astonishing unequalled works. She is from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university) graduating in 1971. She studied for her BFA at the Reading University, England, in 1973-1976, and her MFA at the Pratt Institute, New York, in 1976-1978, under the JDR III Fund fellowship. She won the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972 and the 1981 Bakat Muda Sezaman. In 1979, she won the coveted Major Award in the Salon Malaysia. In 2007, she was conferred the Dato’ title by the Sultan of Kedah. Her other awards include 3rd Prize in the 2nd Biennial of Contemporary Painting of the Islamic World in Tehran, Iran, in 2003. Prices of her artworks have been soaring high recently in auction houses locally and abroad.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 23, 2020
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato’ (b. Kedah, 1948) Standing Forms, 1996
Est: RM55,000 - RM90,000
A vertiginous form is suggested by the phalanx of horizontal and vertical scaffolding in various coloured shapes. A backdrop of purple with deeper hues on the left to denote distance and the twilight hours perhaps set the ruminative mood, with an overpowering serenity taking up two-thirds of the field. Geometry of clean clarity on the remaining upper space adds to the solitude of reminisces. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir had by then, in the midst of her Mindscapes oeuvre, developed a sophistication of style, forms and colours in abstraction imbued by an affinity of Nature and a deep spiritual quality. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir is a pioneering abstract artist from the first batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), graduating in 1971. She pursued her BFA at Reading University, England (1973-1976) and MFA at the Pratt Institute, New York (1976-1978), besides a museum management course in London in 1987. Her laurels include Minor Awards in the Malaysian Landscape (1972) and the Bakat Muda Sezaman (1981), the Major Award in Salon Malaysia (1979). In 2007, the Sultan of Kedah conferred her the Darjah Dato’ Setia DiRaja Kedah title, and in 2014 she was honoured with the Women of Excellence Award. Overseas, she won the 3rd Prize in the 2nd Biennial of Contemporary Painting of the Islamic World in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. Prices of her artworks have been soaring high recently in auction houses locally and abroad.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jul. 12, 2020
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO’ : Nursiyah, 2015 - 17
Est: RM38,000 - RM55,000
Dato Sharifah Fatimah is not one to shy away from employing vibrant colours to her work. Her pieces resemble a unique discourse between man and nature, seeking solitude in the greens, blues and warm washes of red representing the various elements of flora and fauna. She exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within. It is a piece that says “although outside you may seem calm and collected, the inside is a different story”. This piece resonates vibrancy, liveliness and vivacity. It is done in her usual loud-on-loud and contrasting colours, featuring daring streaks, blocks and lines to handsomely frame the bold-coloured fragments and shapes. As an artist that frequently uses her thoughts, emotions and feelings as substance for her abstract work, her artworks usually turn out to be a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Such as the matters of the heart and mind, it is never clear, rarely uncluttered and most definitely not immaculate. “We live our true lives in the depths of our hearts, not in the superficial masks of personality which we show to the world,” said Dato’ Sharifah.
KLAS Art Auction
Jul. 12, 2020
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Greenlight, 1983
Est: RM50,000 - RM90,000
With this piece Sharifah Fatimah exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within. It is a piece that says, “although outside you may seem calm and collected, the inside is a different story”. As an artist that frequently uses her thoughts, emotions and feelings as substance for her abstract work, her paintings usually turn out to be a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Such as the matters of the heart and mind, it is never clear, rarely uncluttered and most definitely not immaculate.
KLAS Art Auction
Mar. 15, 2020
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. Kedah, 1948) Mindscape 6, 2011
Est: RM4,500 - RM7,500
Colours and the play of light are the main components of Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah’s work. For her, colour is energy while light symbolises existence. The artist manifests the dynamic interactions of colours, combining elegant strokes applied in multiple directions. She is strongly influenced by Nature’s movements, producing contemplative works which suggest an underlying philosophical ideal.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 15, 2020
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. Kedah, 1948) Untitled, 1974
Est: RM50,000 - RM80,000
A most intriguing early work by Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir has come back to our shores after a lapse of 46 years! It was from the collection of her German-born tutor Peter Kalkhof (1933-2014), when she was studying in Reading, England, in 1975-1976, and it had been passed over to another collector who is now based in Austria. Kalkhof, who was also an artist known for his abstract, taught officially at Reading University from 1966 to 1999. This work developed post-ITM with an odd combination of tubular organic shapes and ambiguous geometric forms. Unusual in Dato’ Sharifah’s repertoire we know today are the streaky lines seemingly haphazard but contained within certain shapes bordered by a broad green stanchion on the right, and a freehand reddish top bar with a perpendicular drop on the left. Dato’ Sharifah comes from the pioneering batch of fine-art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (ITM, now a university), graduating in 1971. She completed her BFA at Reading University, England (1973-1976), and MFA at Pratt Institute, New York (1976-1978), under the JDR III Fund fellowship. She is dubbed as the First Lady of Malaysian Art. Her career has been consistent and sterling with awards such as the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition (1972) and the Young Contemporary Artists (BMS, 1981) and culminating in the Major Award in the 1979 Salon Malaysia. She also won 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. For her contributions, she was conferred a Dato’ship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006. She is also a later member of the Utara Group, formed in 1977. In recent years, her artworks prices have skyrocketed at local and foreign auction houses.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 15, 2020
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. Kedah, 1948) Song Of Songs 5, 1998
Est: RM65,000 - RM90,000
Songs in Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir’s art resonates not only with sounds but movements and colours. They are internalised chords as well as the rhythms of the environs, especially Nature, distilled and meshed into a clockwork of shapes, colours and sounds. This work comes after her spiritually tinged Chasm Of Light and Nursiyah series with Islamic overtones. Song Of Songs 5 is featured in the monograph (Page 104) of her Pancawarna Selected Works 1990-2012 exhibition at the National Art Gallery Malaysia. Dato’ Sharifah comes from the pioneering batch of fine-art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (ITM, now a university), graduating in 1971. She completed her BFA at Reading University, England (1973-1976), and MFA at Pratt Institute, New York (1976-1978), under the JDR III Fund fellowship. She is dubbed as the First Lady of Malaysian Art. Her career has been consistent and sterling with awards such as the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition (1972) and the Young Contemporary Artists (BMS, 1981) and culminating in the Major Award in the 1979 Salon Malaysia. She also won 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran, in 2003. For her contributions, she was conferred a Dato’ship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006. She has come a long way since her first solo at the Alpha Gallery in Singapore in 1972. She is also a later member of the Utara Group, formed in 1977. In recent years, her artworks prices have skyrocketed at local and foreign auction houses.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 01, 2020
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO : Song of Songs 2, 1998
Est: RM30,000 - RM60,000
As an artist that frequently uses her thoughts, emotions and feelings as substance for her abstract work, her artworks usually turn out to be a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Such as the matters of the heart and mind, it is never clear, rarely uncluttered and most definitely not immaculate. “We live our true lives in the depths of our hearts, not in the superficial masks of personality which we show to the world,” said Dato’ Sharifah. She exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within. It is a piece that says “although outside you may seem calm and collected, the inside is a different story”. This piece resonates vibrancy, liveliness and vivacity. It is done in her usual loud-on-loud and contrasting colours, featuring daring streaks, blocks and lines to handsomely frame the bold-coloured fragments and shapes. It is a discourse between nature and man, and it can be likened to seeking solitude in nature, the greens, blues and warm washes of red each representing different types of the elements of flora and fauna. Not one to shy away from colours, the artist’s works are often described as lyrically symbolic featuring a myriad of colours.
KLAS Art Auction
Nov. 03, 2019
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato’ (b. 1948) Untitled IV, 1996
Est: RM50,000 - RM80,000
A ruminative cartography of life experiences with great expanse of cooling greens all over and generally subdued palette. The forms are looser, fragmentary and not locked in but not totally unlinked either, so it’s a Mindscape of smoothened nerves and a spotless mind. This was done at a time of Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir’s tactile second tranche of Touch The Earth modelling paste compound works, and at the same time of exhibitions at the Singapore Art Museum and the Malaysian art travelling show starting in Germering, Germany. Goes to show that in a year, an artist could be preoccupied with a few core dalliances. Dato’ Sharifah comes from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Techbology (now a university), graduating in 1971. Then came her BFA at Reading University, England (1973-1976), and MFA at Pratt Institute, New York (1976-1978), under the JDR III Fund fellowship. She won the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972 and the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. In 1979, she captured the coveted Major Award in the Salon Malaysia. In 2003, she won 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran. She has never looked back since her first solo at the Alpha Gallery in Singapore in 1972. For her tremendous contributions, she was conferred a Datoship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 03, 2019
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Untitled, 2010s
Est: RM6,000 - RM10,000
Light mauve tones suffuse this composition, with the main blob off-central in adamantine tactility reminiscent of the artist Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir’s Touch The Earth modelling-paste / acrylic works. The rougher textured pinches and brown hues of eucalyptus barks with the tawny brown are not too far off from the central slab. The general aura is one that is cool, collected and calm. A union between Nature and something man-made in more ways than one. Dato’ Sharifah first chanced on using eucalyptus barks in her works during a visit to Guangzhou, China, in 2014. Her eucalyptus oeuvre culminated in the Song Of Eucalyptus solo at the Segaris Art Center in Publika, Kuala Lumpur, in September 2017. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir comes from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), graduating in 1971. Then came her BFA at Reading University, England (1973-1976), and MFA at Pratt Institute, New York (1976-1978), under the JDR III Fund fellowship. She won the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972 and the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. In 1979, she captured the coveted Major Award in the Salon Malaysia. In 2003, she won 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran. She has never looked back since her first solo at the Alpha Gallery in Singapore in 1972. For her tremendous contributions, she was conferred a Datoship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 03, 2019
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) Solitude 3, 2012
Est: RM5,000 - RM8,000
An accomplished abstract painter, Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah’s “lyrical abstraction” style distinguishes herself from others. Her technique involves multi-coloured layers of paint typically in red, green, purple and blue that are applied to form geometrical yet organic shapes. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir was from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now Universiti Teknologi Mara) in 1967 and graduated with a diploma in 1971. She enrolled in a course in fine arts at Reading University in England in 1973 and graduated with first class honours. She completed her postgraduate studies at the Pratt Institute in New York in 1976 with a John D Rockefeller III Fund Fellowship. She took a museum management course at City University of London in 1987 while she was a curator-coordinator at the National Art Gallery Malaysia from 1982 to 1990. During her stint at the institution, she curated Ibrahim Hussein’s exhibition, A Retrospective. In 2017, to mark the 50th anniversary of her career as an artist, she presented a solo exhibition entitled Song Of Eucalyptus at Segaris Art Center, Kuala Lumpur.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 03, 2019
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato' (b. 1948) The Link, 1997
Est: RM80,000 - RM120,000
‘Busy-ness’ is not clutter, but a meandering of the spotless mind. Across spools of colours, shapes of places and memory locales in the mind. A smile, a peal of laughter and a shadow of sadness even. You needn’t strap on as you are taken, as much as you take yourself, on this journey of introspective flux, with escape hatches, to disengage as well as to distract. This, a psychosomatic artistic motor used by Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir since her Mindscape series. Notice too, the curious definitions like lines, bands or cursory shadows in the substrates and in-between spaces that create new little satellites of ecstasies. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir comes from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university), graduating in 1971. Then came her BFA at Reading University, England (1973-1976), and MFA at Pratt Institute, New York (1976-1978), under the JDR III Fund fellowship. She won the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972 and the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. In 1979, she captured the coveted Major Award in the Salon Malaysia. In 2003, she won 3rd Prize in the Islamic World Painting Biennial in Teheran, Iran. She has never looked back since her first solo at the Alpha Gallery in Singapore in 1972. For her tremendous contributions, she was conferred a Datoship by the Sultan of Kedah in 2006.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jun. 30, 2019
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato’ (b. 1948) Solitude 2, 2012
Est: RM5,000 - RM8,000
An accomplished abstract painter, Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah’s “lyrical abstraction” style distinguishes herself from others. Her technique involves multi-coloured layers of paint typically in red, green and blue that are applied to form geometrical yet organic shapes. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir was from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now Universiti Teknologi Mara) in 1967 and graduated with a diploma in 1971. She enrolled in a course in fine arts at Reading University in England in 1973 and graduated with first class honours. She completed her postgraduate studies at the Pratt Institute in New York in 1976 with a John D Rockefeller III Fund Fellowship. She took a museum management course at City University of London in 1987 while she was a curator-coordinator at the National Art Gallery Malaysia from 1982 to 1990. During her stint at the institution, she curated Ibrahim Hussein’s exhibition, A Retrospective. In 2017, to mark the 50th anniversary of her career as an artist, she presented a solo exhibition entitled Song Of Eucalyptus at Segaris Art Centre.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jun. 30, 2019
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Dato’ (b. 1948) The Meeting 13694, 1994
Est: RM50,000 - RM80,000
Since 1993, Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir has been incorporating an innovative extension to her abstract repertoire: the knotty tangle, often placed centre and sometimes in fragmented forms, with protrusions in four directions and with multiple colour variations. It presents another vista of her play on the ambiguity of space, the foreground-background contrasts and such. It does not belong to any particular series but is used as and when. This unheralded ‘device’ surprisingly has been used by other Malaysian artists too, but in much more different ways and to different results. Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir is without doubt one of the greatest women artists in Malaysia today, with a body of astonishing unequalled works. She is from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Techbology (now a university) graduating in 1971. She studied for her BFA at the Reading University, England, in 1973-1976, and her MFA at the Pratt Institute, New York, in 1976-1978, under the JDR III Fund fellowship. She won the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972 and the 1981 Bakat Muda Sezaman. In 1979, she won the coveted Major Award in the Salon Malaysia. In 2007, she was conferred the Dato’ title by the Sultan of Kedah. Her other awards include 3rd Prize 2nd Biennial of Contemporary Painting of the Islamic World in Tehran, Iran, in 2003. Prices of her artworks have been soaring high recently in auction houses locally and abroad.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 17, 2019
CELEBRATION 18B - Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Datuk
Est: RM65,000 - RM75,000
.
The Edge Auction
Jul. 08, 2018
SHARIFAH FATIMAH ZUBIR, DATUK : Image SF 2, 2012
Est: RM7,000 - RM14,000
As an artist that frequently uses her thoughts, emotions and feelings as substance for her abstract work, her artworks usually turn out to be a motley of aesthetic mayhem. Such as the matters of the heart and mind, it is never clear, rarely uncluttered and most definitely not immaculate. She exhibits the true matters of the heart, mind and soul, how the thought processes are never muted and never silent, always showing their garish colours deep within.
KLAS Art Auction
Apr. 29, 2018
SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR, DATO' (b. 1948) NIGHT DANCE 5, 1997, Acrylic on paper
Est: RM3,000 - RM5,000
This emotive work comprises dark and muted colours, with hints of teal to break the dark palette, and even then, it is sparse, and in some cases, the teal is overlapped by a stroke of black, dampening its effect. It is a contrast and melding between hot-headed and fiery passion against level-headed coolness, evidenced by the use of dark purple. Dato’ Sharifah recently celebrated her 50th in art-making with her Song of Eucalyptus solo exhibition at the Segaris Art Centre, Kuala Lumpur, from Sept 5 to Oct 31, 2017. She has come a long way since she graduated from the pioneering batch of fine art students from the Mara Institute of Technology (now a university) in 1971. She studied for her BFA at the Reading University, England, in 1973-1976, and her MFA at the Pratt Institute, New York, in 1976-1978, under the JDR III Fund fellowship. She won the Minor Award in the Malaysian Landscape competition in 1972 and the Young Contemporary Artists (Bakat Muda Sezaman) in 1981. Her biggest break came in 1979 when she won the coveted Major Award in the Salon Malaysia 1979. Her first solo at the Alpha Gallery in Singapore in 1972 dealt with organic shapes. Then, in 1983, there was her Nursiyah (Dark Light) phase, before the tactile Touch The Earth dual exhibitions and the textile-based Garden of the Heart.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers