In regards to this project, the first thing that came to mind is that, for me, my hands represent my culture, religion, and family lineage. As a Pakistani Muslim, a lot of my identity is intertwined and represented through my hands. For example, applying henna is a beloved and customary ritual during any significant cultural, religious, or personal life event. It serves as a ceremonial symbol to indicate one’s identity and beauty, and also serves as an extension of one’s clothing (as seen in the background behind my hand). Additionally, my hands represent not only an imprint of my ancestors, but a projection of my future children/generations. That is why, for this project, I carefully applied henna to my own hands as I would for a religious holiday, birthday, or wedding, as well as on my mother’s and grandmother’s hands. With the help of Photoshop I was able to combine 3 generations of hands into one fluid image, portraying how the hand serves as a marker/symbol of how culture and customs are passed down through a continuing lineage and physical entity. On a side note, as an artist, I also thought it was also interesting to note that in this case, the hand serves as a symbol for both an instrument and a canvas; it uses itself to mark and adorn itself!