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 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.