Forensic biology senior Maryam Moshref sparked her passion for henna through a white lie.
A day before the Muslim Student Association at her high school celebrated the holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, Moshref volunteered to do henna art on over 30 people.
Henna is a plant-based dye used frequently during various Middle Eastern and African celebrations that acts as a temporary tattoo, staining the skin a brownish-gold color with any desired design according to The Henna Guys.
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are two major celebrations on the Muslim calendar, with Eid al-Fitr commemorating the ending of the Ramadan fasting period and Eid al-Adha marking the end of hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, according to Britannica.
Moshref said her love for henna and the idea to start a business came as a result of her busy school schedule preventing her from maintaining a conventional shift-based job.
She said strict rules about tattoos within Muslim culture makes henna a popular alternative and allows for self-expression.
“People are fascinated with henna because it was some sort of body-art modification that is temporary, but at least it’s expressive,” Moshref said.
She said she likes to inform people about the cultural importance of henna, but also wants her clients to be able to personalize the art she puts on their body.
“I’ve done a piece recently where [the client was] Filipino so instead of doing the main moon, I did the Filipino flag with the sun,” Moshref said.
Although she allows clients to customize their henna, there are certain lines Moshref said she wouldn’t cross.
“I really care about educating people about the meaning behind [henna]. It is something that you do carry, not in a sacred way, but it is traditional,” Moshref said. “So I wouldn’t use henna for derogatory pictures or anything like that.”
Forensic biology senior Desiree Castro said she met Moshref in one of her classes and immediately knew she was creative when she would catch her drawing in the middle of lecture.
Castro said Moshref was extremely warm and her honesty will help her in pursuing henna as a business.
“If you wanted something, she’ll tell you whether she can do it or not,” Castro said. “And that’s a good thing about being a business person – if you’re honest about the work and what you can produce.”
Castro said though Moshref is the first person who has done henna on her, she always enjoyed the aesthetic of the art form.
She said she’s happy her best friend can invest time into actively engaging in her culture through art.
“From somebody who didn’t really know the significance behind [henna,] being able to see her share with everybody what it actually means and also being allowed to express her art form like this – where people get to choose what they want and stuff – it’s really good,” Castro said.
She said she notices how busy Moshref is during the week and loves that she’s investing in herself and making quick cash from doing something she loves.
“It’s really good to see [her business] grow and expand into something that I thought would just be something super fun for her into something that could be a really good side hustle for her,” Castro said.
Global studies junior Gisselle Escobar said she was introduced to henna in middle school through a classmate.
Escobar said her henna designs were often trivial and didn’t have too much, but it was a good way to temporarily tattoo herself, something her family vehemently opposes.
“My mom’s Mexican and my dad is Salvadorian, so that’s why he has an issue with tattoos, because in El Salvador tattoos are associated with gang members,” Escobar said. “So my family has a bad relationship with tattoos.”
She also said art is at the core of self-expression.
“Since art is a form of expression, I feel if someone isn’t accustomed to expressing themselves, how are they going to sympathize with other people’s emotions if you’re not in touch with your own?” Escobar said.
Moshref said she’s working hard to promote her business and hopes to build a clientele in the SJSU and San Jose community.
She said vending would be a good way to broaden her outreach.
“I want to be able to get started on booths and just pay for vendors and then have that way so I can build up clientele,” Moshref said. “I think in the future, if this really takes off, I think I’d probably like a website.”
