My Journey As A Henna Artist
What I learned and why I stopped
Henna is a thick green dye prepared by crushing the Lawsonia inermis plant native to South Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. It is used to decorate the skin with designs passed down through centuries.
I have grown up associating the scent and sight of henna with times of celebration within the South Asian community. During these events, brown skin is adorned with intricate designs to mark participation in the festivities.
Henna artists point their faces closely over open palms, their sleeves rolled up, their eyes focused on expelling the thin green liquid dye from the henna tube.
My origin story as a henna artist starts with my mother’s half-hearted attempt to draw on my palm.
Though she is a shrewd businesswoman, my mother has never had much patience with creativity. I was a child visiting my grandmother in Pakistan during Eid, a major Muslim holiday, when I asked my mom to apply henna on me.
We sat on the bungalow’s rooftop as my mother squeezed the fresh henna out of its cone and began drawing lines on my hand. Once she had lifted her cone to mark completion, I saw that she had managed to construct a simple pentagon drawing of a house.
