Look: UAE-based henna artist conveys messages of peace through her designs

For the past few weeks, conversations around dining tables and gatherings have taken a different shape. Where is the world heading? When was the last time someone heard an alert?

For Dr Azra Khamissa, the conversation was more hopeful, and she chose to take it further through her art.

In a moment shared with friends, the word ghafla came up, a state of unawareness, of overlooking what truly matters. It became a reminder that in times of uncertainty, there is still something to hold on to, the blessings around us.

The idea stayed with her. UAE-based henna artist Dr Azra Khamissa found herself reflecting on how easily people can become disconnected from what they have.

“I think we’ve all just been a bit oblivious of the blessings we have,” she said.

What followed was a design that moved beyond decoration, translating an abstract concept into something visual, something you can quite literally hold in your hand.

More than decoration

For Dr Khamissa, henna was never meant to stay within the boundaries of tradition. While it has long been tied to celebration, weddings, and rituals, she sees it as a medium that can evolve.

“Henna can be used in so many different ways,” she said. “It’s not just for decoration anymore.”

Her work reflects that shift. Instead of purely ornamental patterns, her designs explore emotion, thought, and shared experiences, turning henna into a form of visual storytelling.

Many of her recent pieces are shaped by feelings people struggle to express.

“Sometimes it’s about expressing emotions you don’t know how to say,” she explained. “And when you see it, you realise you’re not alone.”

A craft shared across cultures

Dr Khamissa’s connection to henna is layered. Born to a family with Canadian, South African, and Indian roots, she has lived in the UAE since 2001, a place she now calls home.

Her journey into henna was not linear. Trained as a chiropractor, she explored makeup, retail, and creative work before returning to henna in 2017, starting with a simple, traditional design for a wedding.

Over time, she began to see the art form differently.

The patterns she once viewed as regional or specific revealed themselves to be shared across cultures, from the Gulf to North Africa and South Asia.

“I love that about henna,” she said. “It’s all of ours. It’s something that’s been owned and loved by women across different cultures.”

That sense of shared identity continues to shape her work today.

Reflecting the moment

The “ghafla” design, which recently gained attention online, is rooted in that same idea, using a familiar art form to explore a deeper, more personal message.

The concept came from a simple moment, sitting with family friends, when a conversation about awareness and gratitude stayed with her long after it ended.

“It really stuck with me,” she said. In a place like the UAE, where life can easily be defined by pace, ambition, and aesthetics, she says it’s easy to get caught up.

“You can get absorbed into lifestyle, into nice things, and forget what really matters,” she added. Her work, in that sense, becomes a quiet pause.

A growing connection

The response to her designs suggests that many are feeling the same way.

“I think people connected with it,” she said. “There’s this feeling right now of, ‘Alhamdulillah, we’re okay, we’re safe.’ It’s something a lot of people are thinking.”

That shared emotional space is something she continues to explore, especially as her work gains more visibility. In 2025, one of her earliest stencil designs, a simple palm tree motif she spent months perfecting, caught the attention of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum during Expo.

For her, the moment was both unexpected and grounding. “It was something so simple, but it meant so much,” she said.

Looking ahead

As she continues to create, Dr Khamissa said her focus remains on reflection, but also on lightness.

“I want to focus on the good,” she said. “On what we have, on relationships, on community.” In a time where everything can feel overwhelming, her work offers something quieter, a reminder rather than a statement. Sometimes, all it takes is a small design to shift perspective.