The Art of Henna
The art of Henna has been around for literally thousands of years. It is primarily
found in Egypt, India, the Middle East, and parts of North Africa, but
it has been growing in popularity in the USA for the past decade. It is a very artistic
craft that can take many years of practice. It is a way to express your creativity and
individuality. Henna is also a social art, because typically you will paint the art on
someone else, and in many cases this creates a deeper bond of friendship.
Henna comes from a plant called lawsonia inermia. It is best known for its dried,
ground leaves that produce a colourfast dye in shades varying from pale brown to dark
russet reds. It can be used to dye hair skin and clothes, even finger nails and has
long been used as a treatment for sunburn. It is not a permanent ink, generally
lasting about a week depending how frequently the area is washed.
In the Middle East it is said that Arabs will not present their hand for Henna
if they are not speaking the truth and it is generally brides who are painted.
Henna is known as a symbol of good luck in countries such as Turkey, Iraq and
Saudi Arabia.
In Morrocco there are unique designs used for many different things. Pregnant
women have designs painted on their ankles to protect them throughout childbirth
and designs are passed down within the families, secret styles being kept in
families for generations.
African designs have a geometry to them that is quite distinct and are less
intricate than the very ornate and floral Indian or mehndi designs.
Henna at NKU
The ISU along with the Activities Programming Board (APB) sponsored an event on
International Day at NKU that brought a henna artist named Pallavi Prathap, whom
came to America from India. She let students
pick from several designs, and painted their hands with the beautiful decorative art.
She worked for several hours on many students who had never seen Henna before. This
will hopefully be a new annual event to help introduce the art of Henna to the students
at NKU.
|
