Sharifah Zuriah Al-Jeffri Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1938 -

Sharifah Zuriah al-Jeffri, 82, has the distinction of being the first Malay to have mastered Chinese ink painting, when she came under the tutelage of artist-gallerist Anthony Sum in 1976-1979. She became better known for her series using Islamic calligraphy on the Bosnia-Herzegovina genocide in the 1990s. Zuriah had developed a flair for painting lotus and mountains. Her lotus, in buds or in bloom, stand out for the pinkish hues amidst the large dark-green leaves, symbolic of triumph over adversity. It was also a symbol of peace and purity, especially in the wake of the Gulf War in 1991. Zuriah is not only an artist but an activist, being the co-founder of Sisters In Islam, and a member of the Malaysian Nature Society in 1998-1999. She was listed by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC) of Jordan as among the 500 Most Influential Muslims (2009). She was also in the National Art Gallery’s board of trustees for the term, 1998-2001. She did her Diploma in Public Relations, Institute of Pubilc Relations Malaysia (1988), and took up courses in law at the Inner Temple, London (1965-1967). She was a Fulbright scholar for Islamic Studies in 1993. Her international exhibitions include Colours Of The Wind (Riddoch Art Gallery, Mount Gambier, South Australia, 2002); Arts As Faith And Search For Divine Truth (Malaysian Embassy, The Hague, 2005); and in Vienna, Austria (1993) in conjunction with the United Nations Conference on Human Rights.