Henna Artist

I was born in Laiun Camp. I work from our tent. I get commissioned to design and make henna art on people’s hands. Some people come to our tent where I work, and sometimes I go their places. I started working with henna in the early 2000s. A Spanish friend of mine found out that I am an artist and she took me to an art class. This was during Vacaciones en Paz, a program for Sahrawi kids to spend their summer vacations with Spanish families. It was hard for me to keep drawing when I came back from Spain. But I managed keep my drawing book. The first time I saw henna art, I realized it is something I can do. So I taught myself how to do it. It was also a way to generate some income to support myself and my family. I began applying henna on my own hands. I took photos of it and shared them on social media, and that’s how people found out about my henna art and began to commission me for their celebration events. Henna is a very important material that the Sahrawi have used for a long time as medicine, as food and as art. It helps us celebrate and show our beauty. Girls love to put on makeup. And I want to give girls a natural alternative to the chemical cosmetics spreading in the markets nowadays, and there are many herbs and plants that can help it stick longer on the skin, but many girls are not patient, they go for the options with quick results.