The goal of this masterclass is to decorate a bndir with henna patterns. A bndir is a traditional round hand drum made from animal hide. This parchment can be painted with henna, which is traditionally done. Unlike on living skin, a henna decoration on parchment is permanent, making the bndir a beautiful art object that you can hang on the wall or place a light behind for an extra beautiful effect.

During this masterclass, you will first receive an introduction to Moroccan henna art. What is the cultural background? What meanings are associated with the patterns, and why is henna used? Then participants will then move on to the practical part. We will practice the piping technique: how to draw long, thin lines, how to make drops and leaves in one movement, and how to balance speed and pressure.

Moroccan henna art is a craft traditionally passed down from mother to daughter or organically spread within women’s communities. The craft is characterized by a specific technique, namely applying henna with a cone. Geometric patterns are often applied to hands and feet. The henna binds to the keratin in the skin, making the orange-brown decorations visible for 1 to 2 weeks.

Henna is best known as a ceremonial part of a Moroccan wedding, where the bride’s hands and feet are decorated with henna. But henna is much more than a beautiful skin decoration. It holds a whole world of symbolism, meaningful rituals, and empowerment traditions.

At the age of four, Fatima Oulad Thami experienced her first henna ritual during a visit to her grandmother in Morocco. A neighbor girl drew a herringbone pattern on her hands and feet with a stick and henna paste. This experience would change her life forever. Every summer, the henna ritual became a fixed tradition of the holiday. At the age of fourteen, she began to self-teach to become a neqacha. Now she has 30 years of experience and is a sought-after henna artist both nationally and internationally. With Moroccan henna art as her expertise and her passion as her drive, she has achieved much under the name Hand of Fatima. She has an online learning platform, a webshop with henna supplies, the Henna Academy for group lessons, commissioned work, a master-apprentice trajectory via the Cultural Participation Fund, and much more. Fatima is now not only a neqacha but also a speaker, teacher, artist, and socially engaged creator.

NB: Fatima also teaches a workshop during the festival.