May 15, 2017

Meet Sue Murad of Henna Sue in Jamaica Plain

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Murad.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve kept a sketchbook since I can remember. Both drawing and dance were early forms of expression that later developed into performance art, time sensitive sculpture, film, and – henna.

I started experimenting with henna in 1996 when a friend returned from Morocco with henna supplies. We were students at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and I spent hours drawing on everyone who passed by. The process of composing endless variations of patterns out of intricate lines and shapes suited me perfectly and I loved the focus and the undivided attention I could give another person. The fact that henna only stains the skin for a few weeks was also appealing, and fit right in with the rest of my ephemeral artwork.

Three months after I graduated, a friend and collaborator, Charity, walked into my room and said, “Want to start a business?” What else was there to do? I was currently making performance and ephemeral sculpture and didn’t have a sense of how I was planning on making a living.

Our fledgling art company, Orange, began as a merge all of our various art and craft skills. When it came to henna, we were young and decided to go for all of the festivals we could manage, traveling around in a van all summer. We made a great team, I would do the drawing and she would interact with people, answering their questions. Five years into the business, Charity moved out of state, and I adjusted all of our projects to fit a one woman system. When it came to henna, I could no longer manage festivals and wanted to change my focus from crowds to a more intimate, personal environment like people’s homes, their special events, and at a local, friendly salon.

Beyond simply as an art form, henna also connects to me culturally, as I grew up with a mother from Maine, a biological father from Iraq, and a stepfather from India. I am a blend of culture and my henna reflects this. I am as comfortable spending 4 hours on intricate South Asian bridal henna as I am recreating any image someone finds off the internet. I can freestyle patterns or draw anything I am given to look at. I began my design research working on traditional Asian patterns and then branched out into Arabic, Moroccan, and Gulf motifs, soon finding beautiful patterns in the many cultures of the world- including my own.

The name ‘Henna Sue’ came from the owner of Fresh Hair salon in Jamaica Plain. Over 15 years ago, I sent the salon a note inquiring if they’d like to have a henna artist available for their clients. We met up soon after, and it has been a wonderful working relationship ever since. She began calling me ‘Henna Sue’ early on, and when it came time to make a website, I thought, well, that works!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest challenge with henna was learning how to get a good dye on the skin. Unlike a chemical dye, where you always know what color will come out of the bottle, henna is organic and requires a particular recipe and steeping environment in order to release the dye from the powdered leaves of a henna plant. It took a few years to perfect my recipe and understand how the heat and measurements of ingredients effect the strength of the dye. On top of that, once you have your henna ready to apply, you learn that henna stains areas of the body differently. The palms can get almost black and the upper arms a pale but pretty chestnut brown.

Beginning in a low stakes environment was key to allowing me to practice and fail. Through much trial and error, I now have a recipe that I can rely on and dyes a lovely deep brown.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Henna Sue – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
As Henna Sue, I use all natural henna to draw intricate patterns and designs on the body that last from 1 to 2 weeks. I also offer ‘white’ henna which isn’t actually henna but rather an FDA approved white body paint that lasts several days. I attend all kinds of birthdays, showers, anniversaries, weddings, special moments, and friend and family gatherings. Henna is also a great way to try out permanent tattoo ideas.

How fortunate for me to be invited into these fleeting celebrations and connections, and tasked with making intricate works of art to honor these moments. In 2018, I’ll celebrate 20 years of perfecting my craft.

Pricing: