The coalescing forms bundled in an awkward roll-in wrestle typifies Datuk Ibrahim Hussein's celebratory rumble-tumble in the 1970s when consolidating his figure-types honed from his London studies days and the panoply of New York exhibitions. The lines, decorative and defining, started his trademark insignia when Datin Sim gave him a set of graphic pens, in 1975, when Ib, as the artist is popularly known, was resident artist, from 1971-1978, at Universiti Malaya. The London art critic Charles Spencer observed in 1965 of Ib's "conscious overlapping of linear definitions of the figure to such an extent that they become blurred into bulbous almost sculptural forms, (giving) the impression not only of movements, but of power." Datuk Ibrahim Hussein has an impeccable international profile with the accolades of the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award (1997), Venezuela's Order of Andres Bello (1993), Chile's Order of Bernardo O. Higgins (1996), the Japan Foundation Cultural Award (1988), and the Monte Carlo Contemporary Art Award (1984). He was the first Malaysian taking part in the Venice Biennale under the Smithsonian Institute Workshop programme in 1970. In 1977, he was chosen to exhibit with Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali in the tripartite masters exhibition in Kuwait. He was accorded a Retrospective by the National Art Gallery in 1986. In 2007, he was awarded the Anugerah Tokoh Melayu Terbilang, apart from the Datuk titles three times. His art tutelage was at the Byam Shaw School (1959-1963) and the Royal Academy in London (1963-1966). He is also remembered for setting up the Ibrahim Museum and Cultural Foundation (Langkawi), which ran his museum, now defunct, and the first Langkawi International Festival of Arts (LIFA). Ib, as the artist is popularly known, was also the prime-mover behind the Club Mediterranee Asian Arts Festival in Cherating (Pahang) and Bali.