Themes to Explore: Henna

Themes to Explore: Henna

Henna often known as 'Mehandi' or 'Mendhi' has been used for body art for many centuries and is still popular today. Henna is the name of the plant which has a strong pigment, this stains the skin and makes the pattern created by the paste stay on the skin. They are often called temporary tattoos and have been used by the people of Ancient Egypt, India, and Asia. Some people even use henna to dye their hair as well as their skin as the plant contains a pigment called Lawsone, this combines with proteins and causes a long lasting stain.

the Henna plant grows in tropical climates so places like: India, Australia, Asia and Africa. Body art is often piped on the body for religious celebrations and weddings. This is often on the hands, arms, feet and legs. Many years ago when Henna originated, people in the deserts of India found that covering their hands and feet in the henna paste made them feel a lot cooler. They then started to create patterns and designs from the paste, that slowly became a tradition for brides to have for their wedding day.

Henna applied for a wedding

I had the pleasure of learning about henna on a previous makeup course and it became a hobby of mine to practice and design different patterns. Here is a few images of my work:

Henna by Chelsey Pavey

Henna by Chelsey Pavey

Henna by Chelsey Pavey

Henna by Chelsey Pavey

Henna by Chelsey Pavey

References:

S-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com. (2016). [online] Available at: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/42/4b/09/424b09d3242d283049edc041e717d2f5.jpg [Accessed 31 Oct. 2016].