Many artists have drawn lines, but whenever he drew, the lines elegantly curved over and around his artistic perception. His lines talked, whispered, twirled, and whistled. His lines crafted the souls behind bodies, the joy of having the best of the human forms, and his lines encaged unheard and wordless phrases!

Many painters have painted canvases, but whenever he painted, he painted to put life across its surface. He painted trees, rooms, patterns and lifeless objects, but he painted to accommodate his figures, to balance the visual weight and to discipline the design aspect within.

He painted nudes in his art, but they carry the eternal innocence of being beautiful, to interpret virtuousness of a goddess, to incarnate the allegory of an ‘Aphrodite’. The naturalistic colours and symphonised compositions with a touch of Surrealist approach, made him the standalone master of his own style — Colin David, the unsung hero of Pakistani art.

Despite facing suppression and discrimination Colin David never compromised on his instinctive figurative style, which earned him international acclaim

David was born in 1937, the youngest child of his parents, Victor Compton David and Katherine David. Victor David was a journalist who has also been associated with The Civil and Military Gazette and lived in the major metropolitans of India, including Calcutta, Lucknow and Karachi. Unfortunately, Victor David did not survive a heart attack when he was only 32, and left behind young Katherine to look after five children. She then decided to move to Myanmar (Burma) to her parental family. When World War II erupted and hit Myanmar badly, the David family had to leave and decided to settle in Lahore, and the David brothers joined the Cathedral School.

Later, Colin David passed his intermediate from Forman Christian (FC) College, Lahore, before joining Diyal Singh College for B.Sc. in engineering. However, at the same time, he joined the evening drawing classes at the Mayo School of Arts to satisfy his eternal love of art; there he came across legendary Shakir Ali.

In 1955-56, after his B.Sc., the artist met Anna Molka Ahmed, who had just started the first batch of male students at the fine arts department of the University of Punjab with the help of Khalid Iqbal. Colin David, along with his portfolio, met Ahmed and was enrolled for an MA at the fine arts department in 1956, along with two other male students.

David graduated in 1960 with a gold medal and started teaching at his alma mater subsequently. Iqbal’s inspiration and Ahmed’s guidance pushed the artist to seek admission at the Slade School of Art, London in 1961, where he would meet Sir William Coldstream, the father of Modern Realism in England. His letters to Ahmed from London are a narrative of his feelings and interest; discussing various art issues and life at the Slade.

During those years at London, he looked upon the golden age Spanish portraits by Diego Velasquez (1599-1660); the ballerina compositions of Edgar Degas (1834-1917) and the Surrealist ambiance of Salvador Dali (1904-1989); these aspects have been prevalent in his work, as unintentional inspiration, within his compositions of portraits and figures.

Unfortunately, the artist’s mother passed away in 1962, and he returned home without completing his intended course.

In that time of loneliness David, along with Khalid Iqbal, started visiting Ahmed’s place regularly in the evening where another sophisticated artist, Moyene Najmi, joined them to create a trio of great artists. They used to discuss art, carry out drawings and painting, and play cards at leisure time where he met Zara Ahmed, the eldest daughter of Ahmed. This interaction resulted into a strong friendship between the two and ultimately they decided to tie the knot.

In September 1965, the assault of Indian armies on Lahore shocked the city, whereas in the same month, the announcement by Zarah and Colin to get married stunned Ahmed. The consequences of this marriage completely changed the art scenario of not only Lahore but the whole country in the years to come. Her furious reaction was unbearable for David, and he left the department to join the National College of Arts (NCA). Iqbal followed the suit, in favour of his decision, and the two giants of their respective genres of landscape painting and figurative art deprived the department of their expert mentorship.

His presence at NCA, along with matchless scholarship of Iqbal and unparalleled qualities of Shakir Ali , took NCA off the line, and the two institutions across Mall Road drifted away from each other, not only in terms of art but also in congenial relationship; replacing it with an unhealthy rivalry.

David’s marriage with Zara did not last longer than a decade, and they decided to part ways after their children were settled in school.

After Anna Molka Ahmed’s retirement in 1977, David started to visit the fine arts department as a juror, and there fate conspired with him to meet Rukhsana, a graphic design student who became his life partner in 1983.

During the 1980s, under the Islamisation ideology of Gen Zia, art and especially figurative art was brutally discouraged, compelling many bigwigs to adopt calligraphy and paint portraits of national heroes on their canvases for survival. David did not compromise in these unfavourable circumstances and carried on painting in his unique figurative style, which often displayed the purity of nudes.

In 1990, the private exhibition of his assorted work at his own house was attacked by a right-wing student organisation, leaving behind torn-up canvases, broken windows and disappointed art lovers. In the aftermath, Colin had his first stroke, resulting in partial paralysis of his right side. The artist then never exhibited his peerless work openly in Pakistan; until 2003, when he honoured the walls of Clifton Art Gallery in Karachi. In 2006, he exhibited at the same place again. These were rare occasions that art lovers of Pakistan could celebrate the art of the maestro and pay him the well-deserved reverence and acknowledgement, before he left for his eternal abode on Feb 25, 2008.

His burial was attended by a large number of artists, art students, art lovers and his countless friends in Lahore.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, June 26th, 2016