Henna has long been used as a form of adornment in the Eastern world. It is a plant-based dye which temporarily colours skin, hair and nails.
The intricate art of henna design is over 5000 years old and is culturally as well as spiritually significant for many. It is often used by women to decorate their hands during religious festivals and weddings. I was fortunate enough to speak to Inaya Faheem who runs a small henna artistry business called ‘Mehndi By Inaya’ - ‘mehndi’ is the Urdu word for henna.
She begins by telling me about her work. “I learnt how to do henna tattoos by myself and then around two years ago I decided to turn my passion into a business. I mostly get bookings for Eid and wedding parties.”
When asked about her future plans she stated, “I would love to turn this into my full time work and I really want to build a repertoire as a bridal ‘mehndi’ artist. A Pakistani bride’s henna is very elaborate and large designs can take up to six hours but it’s always worth it because the results are so beautiful!”
Pic: The Ancient Art of Henna (Zainab Ahmed, LUS) (Image: Amish Thakkar, Unsplash)
