Henna Typography
Experimental Typography, Editorial Design, 2017
For this project, in order to express the power and intimacy that certain words hold over us, I initiated a one-on-one experience using henna and typography. I held personal conversations with people and requested for a word that held a special meaning to their existence. I then free-styled a henna pattern using the letters of that particular word on their hand and documented the experience. I gathered this data and bound them into a book where each spread contains both the actual image of the candidates hand, and a blown up version of the henna design.
Books are very personal objects in my opinion providing an intimate experience to its reader; be it from the physicality of having to hold the book close in order to read or the ability to feel the grain of the paper. Hence, I created a Japanese bound book containing spreads of the Henna conversations I documented previously.
I chose Japanese binding because it creates a hand-made effect and its lines contrasted yet complemented the organic henna pattern next to it. I printed said pattern in Spot UV to give it texture which mimics the textured element of henna as well. As this is a very personal book initiative, I used red and black, two colours I personally gravitate towards.
I chose the colours and oriented each pattern specifically to bring out the emotion I felt was to be brought out by the participants’ chosen word. Readers are also given a glimpse of the intimate conversation that took place between the participant and I with a quote accompanying each spread.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7ad53b5a6e8fc7b463165eb7d43b2d1ed87c6d6e60cd869ab28e099848b044d5/Book-Cover-screen-size.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/116a64386bc0689575a223b7d332be49709d6dc6def2d3144fd38e0be877c65f/Pink-Page.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7ca226ecfb5935c1b2ab0026639fef83ecc554febbac6f27eed093ff73fca518/Yellow-Page.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/802392db0d4d47f1f453509963e57a471e7d53a2ba20b730b5dbd896fa4abb2a/Purple-Page.jpg)