Henna artist Halitha Khan was "very nervous" when setting up her first market stall to offer henna tattoos to the Tasmanian public.Ms Khan, originally from India, had moved to Tasmania just a few months before, and noticed that henna was "very rare" in the state.
"We also use it to celebrate anything good … there's no wedding which goes on without having the bride glammed up completely with henna."Jigna Chauhan offers free henna crowns to women who have lost their hair during chemotherapy treatments, helping them feel more positive and confident.Henna tattoos, which can be based on traditional designs or created by any henna artist, can take anywhere from 10 minutes to a whole day to complete, depending on their complexity.
Private bookings allow Ms Khan to work on much more intricate designs, and she is pleased to have recently been booked for her first wedding.Through driving, often with her husband Habeeb, to the events where she has worked, Ms Khan said she has learned a lot about her new island home.And, in sitting down and having one-on-one conversations with hundreds of Tasmanians while tattooing their hands over the past year, Ms Khan has also learned a lot about them.