Finding an Expert
As much as my Internet research revealed, it still isn't comparable to speaking with a true henna expert. So I checked with a friend of mine who's of Indian descent to see who did her henna the couple of times I'd seen her wearing it. She told me that her older sister had done it, but for her, it was just a hobby. I was looking for someone with real expertise. So I ran a quick search to see of anyone in my area had a henna shop or something. Nothing. In expanding the distance, though, I discovered the legendary Neha Assar. She's done henna work for celebrities like Kylie Jenner and supermodel Jessica White. Her runway henna has been featured in magazines, along with articles dedicated to her life, and her bridal henna's gone viral with her personalized twist on traditional patterns. How much of a twist is it? Just take a look: |
| Customized bridal henna by Neha Assar |
And hey, you remember that video from BuzzFeed India I posted before? Take a guess at who the artist was who created that 7-hour design.
I was immediately hooked on the intricacy and individual detail put into her designs. I found Ms. Assar's website and sent her a quick email through the contact info I found there. Since we live on opposite coasts of North America, I can't exactly stop by for a quick chat, and I have no idea what her schedule is like to allow for a phone call. Instead, I explained a bit of what I wanted to know in my email and asked if she could help me out. Her response was a prompt and resounding yes. She directed me to the press section of her page, where I could find all the articles that've been written about her and the magazines where her artwork is featured.
The Interview
The articles helped, but I still had a few questions of my own. How had she found mehndi as a passion and developed it into her own business? I sent her another email with my questions. Her beginning wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as I expected. "When I was a freshman in high school, my kid sister had gone to a carnival and spotted a lady doing henna in her booth," she wrote. "She had a sign that said help wanted and my sister came home telling my mom that I should apply as a henna artist. I was very reluctant because I wasn't so interested." As you might guess, Assar's success took off very quickly after that. Small successes built up into a career and her love for the art grew, even while she pursued engineering.As a beginner to mehndi, I asked her about the composition of her designs. I, personally, was having trouble coming up with designs to fill in the space of a clean hand, and hoped that maybe her answer could give me a clue as to how I was supposed to proceed, or if maybe I just don't have the right artistic flair. But I was too embarrassed to ask straight out, so instead I asked if and how she planned her outstanding original designs and how she's grown as an artist.
She answered, "I never have a plan set in place. In fact, I usually meet my clients on the day of their henna session. We talk briefly about what they want incorporated in their bridal henna and I customize it if they wish. If not, I just go with the flow of things. Each piece is uniquely designed for each of my clients. No two henna pieces are the same. I think my style has definitely evolved over the years. I went from doing traditional designs, to creating my own, to drawing flat, two dimensional animals and human figures, to now drawing 3 dimensional figures using shading and stippling effects. I cannot wait to see what is next!"
Well, it didn't help my quest to become more creative right away. I'm still stuck around the traditional level, and will probably never reach Assar's mastery of mehndi, but it is comforting to know that even she started with the basics and is still working to improve. A few hours later, as I was scrolling through the articles she directed me to, I found another aspect of her process that stuck out to me.
"Assar tries to stay away from designing floral patterns, which she said are often overused," writes NBC reporter Monica Luhar, "Instead, she likes to challenge herself by creating henna that might resemble pieces of jewelry or specific themes that convey a couple's love story. (...) Assar's artistic inspirations include patterns in nature, Rajasthani art, and world architecture. She's even taken inspiration from the shape of a tree, she said."
This information, together with what Assar had told me in her email, helped me begin to piece together how to improve my designs. I'm still incorporating floral patterns, but I've started to take ideas from the world around me and copy them in my ink. I took my inspiration first from a Christmas decoration sitting nearby, and then I moved on to one inspired by what I love the most in the world: my cat. (You may have seen my update about it.)
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| Partway through my cat-inspired henna |
Suddenly, filling in space wasn't nearly as much of an issue. All I had to do was think of my sweet kitty and how I could reflect her personality in my henna. It sounds strange, but it made my work so much easier. I'm very happy with my Christmas design, cat pattern, and a pattern I based on my mom's earring. I've researched some Native American and African symbols and what they mean to reflect the personalities of the people who've volunteered to be my guinea pigs when my mehndi arrives.
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| Christmas decoration and the design I drew based on it. |
Time Log
Time Spent Practicing: 2 hours 45 minutesTime Spent Researching (including interview): 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours
Your website looks really great, and it's cool how much it relates to your topic! On top of that, I think that your topic is amazing and very brave. I have always loved henna, and it's my tradition to get a bunch done whenever I go down the shore. I think that you found a very credible expert who gave good information, and though her answers did not seem very exciting, I think it shows a lot about the process. There is a lot of freedom in this form of artwork, and I'm very excited to see what you do with it!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm looking forward to being able to freehand more and rely less on the tradition designs.
DeleteWow, you've made a lot of progress! Your pieces are very creative, a lot like your expert's. Your artwork seems very personalized, which is how the best art is made. How has henna changed since it first was used? Assar personalizes her work, but has the process itself change? What tools were originally used and what designs were originally drawn? I also think it would be very cool if you incorporated the Native American and African symbols into your work. Nice job, and good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteOriginally, henna paste was used as a sunblock. Because it binds to keratin (a protein found in skin, hair, and nails) and remains there for so long, it keeps the sun from damaging those cells for a long time. It would also be used to treat goatskin bags to seal the outside and make them poisonous for insects that might chew holes in them. Eventually, people had the idea to use the stains to make patterns and as a hair dye, instead of just using it as a practical sunblock. It was then incorporated as a tradition in many Middle Eastern and Asian ceremonies, like weddings. Today, the art both has traditional meaning and has worked its way into western culture as a subtle fashion statement, similar to a temporary tattoo. The scope of who wears henna and the events it's worn for have both broadened greatly.
Since the process is so simple, it's hard to change a lot. The paste goes on the skin, dries for about an hour, and then is peeled off, leaving a dark stain. Of course, it was originally applied by hand, maybe with a small stick for the very, very early designs. For the most part, however, it has been applied a lot like icing: it's put in a bag or cone with a small opening at the edge, and is squeezed out onto the skin.
Traditional designs often draw from nature, and may be based on animals, leaves, flowers, or just patterns. Therefore, they often end up with a lacey quality, due to the natural spacing of petals, and the fact that traditional henna forms a solid sleeve of designs, unlike most western tattoos.
I hope I answered some of your questions!
I think you answered them all. Thank you for the henna design, by the way. Good luck with the rest of your project!
DeleteI think you answered them all. Thank you for the henna design, by the way. Good luck with the rest of your project!
DeleteI think you answered them all. Thank you for the henna design, by the way. Good luck with the rest of your project!
DeleteThese look really good!! You should totally try some paisley-based traditional designs in addition to these :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it!
DeleteI really like how you compared your work to your inspiration and went through the process of selecting inspiration. I think the designs look really good, but I was wondering what traditional henna patterns would look like. Does traditional henna incorporate animals, is it floral patterns, or is it repeating shapes? I like how you summarized your interview, you gave many of the important details, but also managed to work the story aspect into it as well. Good luck!
ReplyDelete