About
An Artist & Activist, Creative and Caring
Sharifah Zuriah Aljeffri is the first Malay artist to paint in the Chinese brush style. She was taught by Malaysian artist Anthony Sum from 1967 - 1969 and broke into the Malaysian art scene with her first solo exhibition in July 1978, which proved to be a huge success with her stunning Chinese brush paintings.
Since 1978 - 2002 she has held 9 Solo Exhibitions in Malaysia, USA, Austria & Saudi Arabia and between 1995 - 2002 she also participated in several group exhibitions in Malaysia, Brazil, India, Iran, USA, Australia, Sweden & Thailand.
From 1998 to 2001 she was on the Board of Trustees, the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Regional Representative of the Islamic Arts Foundation, London as well as Coordinator and Editorial Board Member of Visual Arts in ASEAN. She is also a founding member of Sisters in Islam, the most active group working on Islam and gender issues.
In 1993 she was awarded the Fulbright Scholar Programme during her stay in the USA and pursued Islamic Studies.
Zuriah was born in 1938 in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia and educated at Father Baree's Convent School and the Sultan Abdul Hamid Collage in Kedah. She studied Law at Inner Temple, London where she completed courses in Roman Law, Constitutional Law, Legal History and Criminal Law. She has a Diploma in Public Relations from the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia.
She was among the pioneer consumer activists in the country being Executive Secretary of the Selangor Consumer Association. She has worked on cultural issues, in diplomacy and is active also in promoting peace through interfaith dialogue and understanding.
She has been described as "One of those special persons who combines a multiplicity of skills with a passion and a heart, creativity and caring"
A sampling of Zuriah's outreach work is expressed in a lecture by her at the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, University of South Australia supported by Australia Malaysia Foundation Inc. entitled Islam and the Status of Women.