When I moved from the bright, sunny albeit turbulent climes
of Northern Pakistan (Islamabad to be
precise) to wet, windy but calmer shores of western UK (Bristol to be precise)
nothing struck me more than the black colour so eagerly and reverently embraced
by the Goth culture rampant there. The heavy kohl lined eyes, stark against the
pale skin, black as night lips, the obvious disregard for current fashion,
matched with the sombre looks and the “I am here and I am not happy about it”
persona, intrigued and I must confess, frightened me.
We South Asians, are born in colour, we embrace it like fish
embraces water in an unrestrained, life-hanging-by-a-(colorful)-thread sort of way. Our marriage ceremonies, our
homes, our public transport are rife with colour. I grew up in Peshawar, for those who don't know the place, it is a tribal stronghold of Taliban-ish people now, but back when I was growing up, it was a fairly decent place, very tribal then as well but peaceful and green. I have the loveliest of childhood memories of the place - and I remember how a newly bought car had to be properly vandalized with vivid
tinsels and curtains and cushions to make it look ‘half-decent’ – as if without
bright and flashy adornments it would seem naked. I was recently reminded of this by a picture a dear acquaintance Ali Qureshi posted on facebook, which says it all.
But as I grew accustomed to the ‘darker-side’ of the western
world, I slowly began to appreciate the sombreness and solemnity that darker,
heavier colours convey. There was something serene about these colours; they
communicated a stillness and gravity that dancing, bouncing bright colours did
not. They served a purpose, created a restrained but obvious ambience – in fact,
black is now the colour of choice for most designers. Black says ‘look at me, I
am here’ – you will always stop, take stock and look around as you
enter a room painted black, it has that kind of command on you.
So next time you are looking at colour swatches, think
about embracing your dark side, you might be pleasantly surprised...
