The Henna Queen~ Rabiyah of Srilankan Mehandi

“The spaces between your fingers were created so that another’s could fill them in.”

The ancient art of henna is an Islamic heritage and has been around for thousands of years and is rich in tradition,but its recently that Henna tattooing got all its vibe. Be it Weddings, Eid, Celebrations and Social events, Henna has become a fashion class of its own. Applying henna tattoos are a great, family-friendly way to get loved ones together to spend a pleasant evening socializing and making each other more beautiful.The intricate patterns and vibrant splendor of color that henna tattoos provide are a somatic manifestation of  happiness.
For me, henna is love. Love the smell, color and I truly enjoy the beauty of my hands when covered with henna. The joy from start of applying henna till you wash it off and wait for the dark stain is just anticipating. I become a ten year old every time I wear henna.

Rabiyah, a Srilankan Henna artist recently relocated to Abu Dhabi, magically draws beautiful designs on the hands of women and girls. Her designs are just perfect and stunning masterpiece of dedication, creativity, imagination and artistry. with several thousand followers on social media, Rabiyah is truly a star in the Henna world. Here is a small conversation I had with Rabiyah about her journey of success with what she love.

A little information about you.

My name is F.Rabiya Hassen. Rabiyah means “Princess/ Queen”. 28 years old and married. Did my schooling at Holy Family Convent, Dehiwala.
Sri Lankas moor. I am the only Gulf henna artist in Srilanka and I have been awarded the “2015 henna artist award”.

When actually did you start henna designing?

I started henna designing in 2003. I have to say that I do not come from a henna loving family. I love doing henna but 80% of my family does not like henna or are ignorant about it.

Do you make your own henna? Where do you get your henna from?

There are people in Srilanka who make fresh henna paste. Almost all henna artists use this henna paste or get the henna paste from them and make their own henna cones. i have done my own research about making henna paste. But unfortunately in Srilanka, we cannot find all the ingredients needed to make the best henna.
For my experiments and research I imported all materials from Rajasthan with the help of my family.

Was henna Designing sort of your inborn talent?

I would say its an inborn talent. I can memorize and figure out any designs or shapes by looking at it like two or three times. I do not focus on patterns, unless someone brings a design and tell me they need it that way. Because if I know the parts of a design I can create a pattern of my own. It just flows out of my imagination. I guess I have the talent to create patterns.

Now that you are a person of talent, Share with us a little about your other talents.

All my talents are based on henna. However, I do some painting and teaching(I am not a school teacher!). I was the first to build up the market for henna canvas painting and candle painting. I am the first Srilankan henna artist to start online henna designing classes, and it was in Whatsapp. I know this is strange but I have had 50 students complete the course and they all are doing very well now.

Do you have a favorite henna designer?

Well, I love Arabian henna a lot. There is nno particular artists or designers,  I just all the gulf henna patterns I see.

What are your future plans?

Until this moment, I have been introducing many new things to my fans. There is more to come. My dream is to travel around the world and explore all my henna fans out there.

What do you have to say to beginners in henna designing?

You may be a beginner and you might be slow and not perfect. But that is not a problem at all. Just enjoy what you do and make people happy. Balance everything, think positive. Every professional was once a beginner. Every beautiful things takes time, but always remember ” Anything is possible”. You just have to set your mind to it.

All I can say is Rabiya is whole awesome load of inspiration and art. Surely success comes to those who really work hard and always learn from failures. People of Abu Dhabi, you have a very talented henna designer to beautify your hands and body.

We wish all success to Rabiyah and her team for her future endeavors.

” The strongest factor for success is self esteem: Believing you can do it, believing you deserve it, believing you will get it“

To view more of Rabiya’s awesome work, please visit her page, Sri Lankan Mehandi By: Rabiya

Do you like Rabiya’s henna designs? Please comment below.

With love

Sahar