- Title: A new lease of life for Zanzibar's henna artists
- Date: 4th October 2019
- Summary: ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MWANAHAMISI MOHAMMED ALI PLACING HER PAINTS ON A TABLE VARIOUS OF MWANAHAMISI PLACING CONES ON TABLE CANS OF PAINT VARIOUS OF MWANAHAMISI PAINTING HENNA DESIGNS USING CONE (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) MWANAHAMISI MOHAMMED ALI, HENNA ARTIST, SAYING: "On the body we use black or red henna. Also painting on the body is a pretty quick process, it's different on canvas. Painting on canvas takes quite a while, as you can see here, they take a while because they have a lot of detail." VARIOUS OF HENNA PAINTINGS BY DIFFERENT WOMEN (MUTE) (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) MWANAHAMISI MOHAMMED ALI, HENNA ARTIST, SAYING: "We earn more income from the canvas painting, but it's not like selling donuts. You can sell one painting in 3 months, but once you sell, you may get up to US$300 for a painting like that one. But it doesn't come regularly, with body painting, you can earn something every day." VARIOUS OF MWANAHAMISI SORTING HENNA ART POSTCARDS (MUTE) VARIOUS OF MWANAHAMISI HOLDING UP POSTCARDS VARIOUS OF STONE TOWN VARIOUS OF INDIAN OCEAN BOY DIVING OFF JETTY VIEW OF SHOPPING CENTER VARIOUS OF ZAHARIA ALI OMAR, HENNA ARTIST, PAINTING A TOURIST'S ARM (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) ZAHARIA ALI OMAR, TRADITIONAL HENNA ARTIST, SAYING: "We used to pound the plant, we would stir it in a small plate with water, then place it on a stick and paint using the thin stick. Or we would use a pen to draw the lines first and then place the mixture over it. But now we use the cone, it makes things much easier. We use some plastic and sellotape, fold it into a shape of a cone and pour the mixture into it and use it." ANNIE LORENSON, TOURIST, WATCHING ZAHARA PAINT (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) ZAHARIA ALI OMAR, TRADITIONAL HENNA ARTIST, SAYING: "This is used by a lot by women here. If a woman is single, she gets painted on one hand, but if she is married, she paints it on both hands and feet." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANNIE LORENSON, TOURIST, SAYING: "It is beautiful to watch the artist do the henna on my hand, but I also think it is really incredible that I have seen it on canvas and it is something that I can take home and share with my family. While this is temporary and it is beautiful to learn here, and incredible to watch them do and it is also amazing that I can bring it home, the story doesn't stop just on my hand, it can be taken to other places." HENNA PAINTINGS
- Embargoed: 18th October 2019 16:24
- Keywords: Stone Town henna artists Indian Ocean Zanzibari women
- Location: ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA
- City: ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA
- Country: Tanzania
- Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZOMO9J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: For centuries women of the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar, have celebrated weddings, holidays, and other special events by having their hands and feet decorated with henna, a plant-based dye.
The art involves creating elaborate patterns of flowers and arabesques using a dark paste to paint. In recent years it's been a way for the artists to earn an income, especially in a conservative society that often demands women stay at home.
Women here are almost twice as likely as men to have no education, and are less likely to own land or have access to a bank account, according to a Tanzania-wide government survey in 2016.
When painted on the body, henna fades after several days, but a group of Zanzibari women have found a way to add value to their craft, and immortalise their designs by transferring them to canvas and paper.
Mwanahamisi Mohammed Ali, is part of a group of nine women who have come together to make sure their designs live on. She says they had to learn new techniques and adjust materials to make it work.
"On the body we use black or red henna. Also painting on the body is a pretty quick process, it's different on canvas. Painting on canvas takes quite a while, as you can see here, they take a while because they have a lot of detail," she said.
It's not just about keeping their motifs alive, it's also a better income generator.
"We earn more income from the canvas painting, but it's not like selling donuts. You can sell one painting in 3 months, but once you sell, you may get up to US$300 for a painting like that one. But it doesn't come regularly, with body painting, you can earn something every day," she said.
The word henna is derived from the Arabic word Al-Hinna. It's a tall hardy plant that can be found in much of the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.
Zaharia Ali Omar, a traditional henna painter, says while application methods have changed over the years, some traditions have stuck.
"We used to pound the plant, we would stir it in a small plate with water, then place it on a stick and paint using the thin stick. Or we would use a pen to draw the lines first and then place the mixture over it. But now we use the cone, it makes things much easier. We use some plastic and sellotape, fold it into a shape of a cone and pour the mixture into it and use it," she said.
"This is used by a lot by women here. If a woman is single, she gets painted on one hand, but if she is married, she paints it on both hands and feet," she added as she used a paper cone to decorate the hand of Annie Lorenson, a student visiting Zanzibar.
Zanzibar - a tropical archipelago - is popular tourist destination.
"It is beautiful to watch the artist do the henna on my hand, but I also think it is really incredible that I have seen it on canvas and it is something that I can take home and share with my family. While this is temporary and it is beautiful to learn here, and incredible to watch them do and it is also amazing that I can bring it home, the story doesn't stop just on my hand, it can be taken to other places," Lorenson said.
(Tulanana Boleha, Okwi Okoh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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