Huq That: The South Asian collective turning henna into high art

Huq That is a South Asian, multifaith and multicultural artist collective devoted to elevating henna as an art form. Their carefully curated all-women team draws inspiration from traditional and modern art forms, with each team member offering their own unique twist on the work. Embracing community and inclusion, the collective is imagining a new world of henna that weaves together history, art and causes that are important to them, including getting involved in fundraisers for the people of Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon. “We use henna to have important conversations about these issues while also preserving the heritage and culture of those regions,” says collective member Mishal.

As well as working with big clients – they’ve decorated musicians Joy Crookes, Miraa May and Alewya, and have collaborated with Converse and Nike – Huq That’s approach to henna is about expanding who the practice is for. Offering their services at queer events like Pxssy Palace and Hen-Nah Party, they are spreading the message that everyone is allowed to participate. “Sometimes queer people are hesitant to ask for henna as they come from communities where culturally or historically they were told it’s only for women, only on your wedding day, only for Eid,” says Pav. “But henna is an art form for everyone. It’s a self-care ritual, a way to express yourself, be who you are, and be proud about it. It’s something which is accessible and inclusive for all.”

Ultimately, the mission is to shine a light on an often undervalued art form and to subvert people’s opinions of it, while also preserving the tradition and sharing it with their community. “We have a lot of love and respect for what we do as individuals and as a team, and we just want to put that out there in the world,” as Maryam says. Dazed sat down with Sabira, Nuz, Ruqaiyyah, Maryam, Mishal and Pav to find out more about their practice.

Why do you think henna is not widely considered an art form?

Ruqaiyyah: It’s stereotypically done by working class women of colour, and because that’s who people think of when they think of henna artists, the art itself is often very undervalued. Shining a light on henna and subverting people’s opinions of it is at the real core of what we do. 

Maryam: Sometimes I feel wary about putting henna in my portfolio. It’s hard to showcase it as an art form, or even as a respected design form or craft, which is what’s been taken away because of colonialism. We want to see this change, to receive fair funding and pay for our work. We’ll always be in community spaces, but we’d love to see henna really take off as a valued and respected art form too. 

How does community play a role in the work of Huq That?

Ruqaiyyah: We’ve been involved in so many fundraisers over the last year which has been really lovely. We’re mostly invited to fundraisers for Palestine, which can be for a specific family, or a charity like Restless Beings. We were recently at the Palestine fundraiser concert held by Joy Crookes, for example. There are so many ways to be part of community without framing it as a way to make money. Henna itself is a two-way situation – it’s meant to be done with company, so we really enjoy being around people when we do henna, and these fundraisers are a great way to engage in henna in a mutual way, support causes we care about and bring our art to new people. 

Maryam: We’ve been involved in a lot of events for Sudan as well, both fundraisers and community gatherings for Sudanese people to come together and move towards healing. As a collective, we want to make sure that we’re not leaving out any causes, but of course it’s difficult because there are so many marginalised communities and so much war in the world.

You did a beautiful design on director and dramaturg Milli Bhatia for the Olivier Awards. What was the inspiration behind that?

Maryam: Yes, I loved doing that! It was inspired by a piece I did on myself which I then brought into Huq That for this piece. It was a design inspired by the keffiyeh and tatreez [a Palestinian embroidery art form] to honour Palestinian art but also the cause of Palestinian liberation.

Nuz: It was also our way of showing solidarity, because not everybody is able to turn up to protests every day. There’s a beautiful diagram that I often think of which says, in order to bring about change you need community builders, you need artists, educators – it takes lots of different people coming together. We’re part of that little art dot on the diagram, and that’s how we want to position ourselves.

What’s your favourite part of doing henna? 

Ruqaiyyah: We often start by asking people when they last got henna done. Some older women say it’s been years as they never get the chance to just rest and sit down. Being able to spend time with someone and provide them with a service that makes them happy is what makes doing henna so enjoyable. 

Nuz: For us, the personal is political, and beauty is a part of that. When we spend time exchanging energy and talking about something meaningful and that we can pass on, that's what is really important to us. That is what good art is. 

Pav: The social aspect of it means you can connect with people, and you make a difference by helping people feel seen for their cultural heritage, and giving people the chance to beautify themselves where they may not otherwise have the chance. It’s really a blessing to be able to do that. 

How does Huq That’s work contribute to the resilience of henna as a cultural practice and artistic tradition?

Ruqaiyyah: Along with the fundraisers, we’ve also been running a lot of beginner workshops lately, where we teach people how to do henna. We don’t want to see this tradition fade away from the communities that this practice is integral and indigenous to. I’ve had people come back after workshops and tell me they’ve been doing henna with their cousins, and it nearly made me cry! It’s so nice to see people take the art and do something with it themselves. We don’t want it to be a ‘henna and go’ experience – we want it to be part of your life, for you to understand the history of it, and make it part of your own history.