FEATURE

The Chic Art Of Henna

Even though the word Henna is synonymous to weddings and tradition, the art has been proving it’s versatility. In the recent Pandemic and Lockdown, henna artists have come up with inventive ideas of Online henna classes, DIY Henna kits and Mehendi Stencils, that have given their clients an opportunity and channel to bring out their creative side. With people experimenting and wanting unique henna designs on their special day and occasions, the artists are working hard to stay on top of all the trending themes.

- By Asna Abdul Haq

@i_amtulzahida Bridal look isn’t complete without intricate motifs of henna, adorning the arms and feet of the bride. Considering this and the fun rituals prior to the wedding, mehendi ceremony has become an integral part of weddings and Indian culture. As the mehendi rituals have evolved over the years, so has mehendi designs. With minimalistic designs, Arabic and Khafif designs and caricature henna being in vogue,Amtul has been proving her versatility as a henna artist.With big help from social media, she has been able to build her client base and has created a good reputation for herself. She specializes in experimental designs and make sure the client’s needs are matched with great detail and finesse.The pandemic causing panic and anxiety in the community, Amtul takes great precautions in maintaining hygiene and sanitization of her tools and henna cones.

@teammehendiwale (TMW) Mehendi is a beautiful and auspicious pre-wedding ritual for all the Indian brides-to-be. This is one particular day when henna is applied on the bride’s hands to symbolize love and beginnings of a new life. The mehendi ceremony allows the bride and her family to celebrate this auspicious beginning with joy and laughter. Team Mehendi Wale (TMW) mehendi artist in Hyderabad has a team of experienced and handpicked mehendi artists with expertise and knack for intricate bridal mehendi designs and are already making waves in the mehendi industry. They are most careful about the finesse of the mehendi and work meticulously with intricate designs. TMW works with traditional bridal mehendi, Caricature Mehendi, Khafif Mehendi to Arabic Mehendi. There is a much detailing in their designs in the form of shades, bold strokes and elaborate mehendi designs.TMW treat their work with sincerity and professionalism, and in the time of pandemic, they take special care about the sanitization and hygiene of their products and tools.

@thehennaartist Henna isa way of expressing passion, love, beauty and joy. Henna as an art has evolved in many ways, as people are a lot more open to new and unique ideas. Brides are now incorporating their personalities and stories into the henna designs. Zeba’sjourney as a henna artist started in Qatar when she decided to get my talent out in the world and created an around Ramadan 2014. The response she received was amazing and soon she had clients coming back to her with praises and appreciation of her work. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen events, she along with her family, moved to Hyderabad last year. Though a little apprehensive in the beginning, she decided to take a step and revived her account with a Hyderabadi base and it turned out to be a great decision. In Hyderabad, she was able to expand her business and put together a professional staff, that works earnestly in making the henna experience happy and joyful. Though it’s a challenge to be working in the current Covid situation, Zeba and her team always makes sure that hygiene and sanitization while applying henna is a priority, and give their best despite the hindrances. Zeba’s experience in the field has grown overtime, and now, Henna is like therapy, which helps her grow with uniqueness and freshness in the work.

@maseeramehndi_artist: It’s no secret that henna is a vital part of the South East Asian culture, a tradition that holds firm roots in the history of Indian beauty.How a plant made its way into becoming such an integral part of Indian weddings is anyone’s guess, but the fact simply solidifies the role of henna in Indian culture. From the obvious wedding scenarios, where the mark of the bride comes from her arms stained in henna patterns, to the tradition of the groom seeking his initials in her palms, to festivals, to even the most minor of celebrations, henna has always been a permanent guest. Henna has been a passion of Maseera, awardee ofTelangana Artists Association, since the age of eight, and over the years, it has manifested itself into a set of goals that she want to reach at any cost. It is important to note that the journey was a tough one, laced with obstacles in the form of the negative societal view of henna artistry as a profession. Mehendi artists were just some girls with inadequate pay, unrecognized, and underappreciated for their skill. For Maseera, one of the main goals has always been to remove the negative stigma from the profession, to be seen as a respectable profession, and to receive the dues that the work deserves. Maseera has worked with over a hundred brides and, her studio has four hundred students learning the craft. Now that the virus has shut down most businesses, she has been taking online classes, and they have worked so much better than expected as the audience has expanded to international students as well. Given India’s diversity, it’s not surprising that India itself has a variety of designs and Maseera has been adapting to the new demands of her audience with determination and sincerity. With henna’s vast presence in Indian culture being evergreen, it’s refreshing to see artists like Maseera working hard towards making this profession a big success.

@mehendi_tales When Saleha started her Instagram page @mehendi_tales, she didn’t know where this journey would take her. She just wanted a platform to share her talent and passion, which have grown into a full fledged career. With time, encouragement and determination, she worked hard to be recognized as a “Henna Artist”, bettering her work and bringing out the best in her. Being a student and building her career has been a task for her, which she has taken up with ease. From simple henna on finger tips and palms, henna has journeyed through a lot of changes and innovations, and Saleha has grasped the art very well. With brides expressing their feelings with henna, artist like Saleha have to make sure that their henna designs are fresh, unique and relevant to the theme and the details of the weddings. For Saleha, starting her social media page and taking up henna as a profession has been very rewarding, as she gets to present her clients with joyous moments and memories of their special day. She wants to keep working towards making henna her career and continue with the art. As it is so well put, in her own words, “ No Wedding is Complete without Henna”.