Lupita Nyong’o Covers Her Shaved Head With Henna for Indian Musical: ‘Bold and Elegant’
16.05.2023 - 20:05
/ usmagazine.com
The art of beauty! Lupita Nyong’o is using her head as a canvas.
The 40-year-old actress covered her shaved crown with henna to attend the opening of Monsoon Wedding Musical, which follows two Indian families as they come together for a wedding. The Black Panther star took to Instagram on Tuesday, May 16, revealing that she wanted to honor and celebrate South Asian customs.
“The story of my head,” Nyong’o wrote via Instagram alongside a series of photos and videos that showed her with the intricate ink, which was brought to life by tattooist Sabeen. “I met @hennbysabeen last year at a wedding in Pakistan. She did the #hennadesign for the bride and I was ASTOUNDED by the INTRICACY and BEAUTY of her work. There was something unique about the way she expressed herself in henna art. And I promised myself, ‘One day, I will have a reason to work with Sabeen.’”
A post shared by Lupita Nyong’o (@lupitanyongo)
Nyong’o continued: “1.5 years later, when Ig to the invitation to attend the opening night of my dear friend Mira Nair’s @moonsoonmusical, I was scrambling at the last minute to find something to wear. I borrowed a sari and jewelry from @mishajapanwala, the bride from Pakistan, but the look didn’t feel complete.”
The Little Monsters star recalled when the idea of getting henna came about. “In the middle of the night, an image SHOT into my mind of a henna design covering my bald head!!!” Nyong’o said. “I could do something special and different to celebrate the culture using the canvas readily available to me. I was so excited by the idea that I could not go back to sleep. Misha connected me to Sabeen, and we were ON OUR WAY …”
Though elated, the Mexico City native said that both she and Sabeen were “terrified”