Maru Garcia Iten

Going beyond my previous understanding of the use of such a fascinating and meaningful material as henna led me to value the process itself and the importance of connection. Therefore, the most important aspect of my research is not the works produced, but rather the relationships that emerged throughout the process.

The work tables became spaces of encounter where creation and conversation took place simultaneously. While we worked, stories about family life emerged, memories surfaced, and questions about identity, belonging, and care arose. At times, people found in the process, a way to share experiences that were difficult to express otherwise; at others, they simply enjoyed the shared time. Gradually, I came to understand that the true value of the project lay in those moments of exchange and mutual recognition. 

This experience has completely transformed the way I understand both artistic practice and education, helping me recognize the importance of approaching contexts through listening and uncertainty.

For a long time, I thought my role was to give visibility to certain stories or experiences. However, Henna Stories taught me that the stories already exist, that the voices are already present. What truly matters is creating the conditions for them to meet, be shared, and resonate.

Therefore, I understand this project not only as research on henna, but also as a reflection on participation, authorship, and collective learning.

As an artisteducator, I am interested in continuing to develop practices that function in this way: creating spaces where people, animals, materials, and stories can meet and transform one another.

Spaces where curiosity is more important than certainty, and where the process is as valuable as the final outcome. 

The project concludes a three-month artisteducator residency in Tangier, carried out within the framework of the International Master Artisteducator (iMAE) program at ArtEZ University of the Arts, in collaboration with the Darna Association (Tangier), and supported by the educational, research, and dissemination activities of the UNESCO Chair’s Centre for Arts and Learning (UCAL).