The swirls of a design on her head are echoed in the paisley pattern of this woman's skirts. She is wearing a henna crown, freshly drawn by artist Tarquin Singh. The crown, etched in a plant-based paste, is one of several created by a Toronto-based group of artists for individuals that have lost their hair due to cancer treatment or other health conditions. The henna art, which fades after two weeks, aims to empower people struggling with poor body image.
Samaritan Magazine recently spotlighted the group, called Henna Heals. In the article, photographer Frances Darwin explains how the crowns help women dealing with hair loss:
For cancer patients, the henna crowns really are a healing experience ... This is all about them reclaiming a part of themselves that would normally be perceived as ill or damaged or not nice to look at and making it more feminine and beautiful.
Via Mad Art Lab
Photo and Henna by Tarquin Singh
