Henna

I’ve taken inspiration from the traditional mehndi designs of Pakistan. Mehndi are decorative bridal patterns worn on the hands. Henna paste is painted on the hands of a bride prior to the wedding ceremony as good luck.  Henna is a paste which stains the skin resulting in a temporary tattoo. Some popular designs are the lotus flower and India’s national bird the peacock, both symbols of luck. Like many self-decorative cultural traditions, henna has become a fashionable trend internationally, now no longer worn only by Pakistani brides to be but by anybody with the inclination to have a temporary tattoo. The designs themselves have come to influence fashion, jewelry and art. The reason I’ve gravitated towards Henna is I’ve always liked the intricate designs and it seems appropriate because my project is to unite two opposing art movements, Mehndi is a great representation of contrast to modernism. It also seems a fitting idea to make a design using hands with inspiration from designs worn on hands. enn

Fig.2  Retrieved from: http://pclayer.com/henna-design/henna-designs-15-pictures/attachment/hand-backside-mehndi-design/

Fig.1 Retrieved from: http://mehndidesignsforhands.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/arabic-mehndi-designs-2.jpg