Morocco in Color

Color. I don’t believe anyone can deny the fact that colors trigger emotions.

They can set the mood for an entire day, and as a painter I use them constantly to convey feelings. Although the meanings of colors do not translate throughout all cultures, we still are able to interpret them through feeling. During our time in Morocco shooting the December catalog, we saw hues and tints of colors we had never laid eyes on before. So vibrant and beautiful – they brought so much joy to us.

One afternoon while we were exploring the city and admiring the craftsmanship of the rugs, we met a man whose tribe was from the Sahara. His family resided in the desert while he traveled to the city for months at a time to sell the items they had made before returning home. He welcomed us into his store and taught us about his culture. While in his company, he shared with us the meaning of the colors used in his rugs, explaining that different regions of Morocco had different meanings behind the colors. In his tribe yellow meant to descend like the sun, orange was spiritual wealth, while red was royalty and happiness; all the colors of fall bringing us such positive reminders. White meant purity, which I feel is common among several cultures, black followed with age, maturity and masculinity. Green gave way to fertility, youth, and new life. One can only imagine the meanings behind all the varying shades of these colors, the way they popped out at you from the bags on the street. They demanded your attention and we brought some home to paint with.

IMG_5911IMG_1093  IMG_1199 IMG_1260 IMG_1261

IMG_1262 IMG_1263

Chefchaouen, known as the “Blue City”, didn’t happen overnight. Every morning I woke early — before the streets were filled with people — to find women washing the walls with large brushes of fresh blue pigment. One of those mornings the color took hold of my mood and suddenly I felt like I was walking through a dream. Was the man from the rug shop right? Was blue to mean no separation from ocean to sky but a continual train of thought and life? The positivity that accompanied this thought was so beautiful, just like everything around me, that all the other meanings I heard about the “Blue City” fell by the wayside.

IMG_5940 IMG_5929 IMG_1358 IMG_1286 IMG_1264 IMG_5952 IMG_5957 IMG_5974Morocco Polaroids II-5 Morocco Polaroids II-19 Polaroid 3-3 Polaroid1-2

+What meanings do you find in colors? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Words and photographs by Melodi Meadows.

0 0 vote
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
8 years ago

Morocco is where colors become alive. There isn´t a corner without colors and without joy! Thank you so so much for sharing these pictures! I loved the ones with the different powders!

https://pandaonavespa.wordpress.com/

8 years ago

Those colours are amazing, what a truly magical place!
https://www.makeandmess.com/

8 years ago

Gorgeous pictures, I’ve been loving all the great Morocco related posts :)
xx
Victoria | Chronicles of a Mermaid

8 years ago

I’ve been planning a trip to Morocco for a long time. I think I just have to grab my bags and go. These pics look very magical.

8 years ago

As a Moroccan I find your words heart warming to read, thank you for speaking about this side of my beautiful country, I hope you enjoyed your stay. xoxo

Kat
8 years ago

I thought your blog post was very true and inspiring so keep up the good post