Every time he takes up his implements, Hong Kong's unrivalled master of the henna tattoo Kwok Chun-kei, 33, insists he is aiming to capture the soul and inner voice of his subject.

He squeezes the cone containing the gooey mixture with subtle strength. A thread of dark brown paste touches the model's wrist. In moments, a complex, neatly arranged pattern appears.

Success with his artwork on the human canvas, he says, strongly depends on personal knowledge of his subjects. "If a stranger comes to me from nowhere and asks for a henna tattoo, I would turn him or her down," Kwok says.

The exceptions, he says, are people requesting tattoos for special occasions like weddings, photo assignments or stage performances.

"Henna is a timeless treasure trove of Middle-Eastern culture that deserves our respect. I take it very seriously," he says.

He created a tattoo for Tsang Chi-wai, the famed Hong Kong actor and television host. "He wanted to create an outrageous and visually stunning presence for the Miss Hong Kong Pageant, 2012, so that he could stand out from other celebrities."

Witty, bubbling and eccentric are words that describe Tsang's public persona. "But that's just the image he projects on stage. There's another side to him," Kwok notes. "After checking with his agent and friends, I learnt that he is decidedly quiet and sober offstage and that if you are cheeky and casual when speaking with him, you may offend him."

Keeping Tsang's hidden self in mind, Kwok designed a symmetrical pattern featuring squares and diamonds. "Those geometrical elements were Moroccan, mirroring formality and uniformity which were Tsang's inner nature."

In 2009, when Kwok began teaching himself the art of henna tattoo, it was virtually unknown in Hong Kong. "A person sporting a henna tattoo would be stereotyped as a rogue."

Now, the art has gone mainstream and the misconceptions have been dissipated. "Hong Kong people have taken henna on board. Most of them recognize it as a form of body ornamentation, especially youth and office ladies," Kwok continues, "I figure that many young people are cocooned by their parents and office women feel confined by the workload. They told me getting a henna tattoo serves as a vent to their stress."

Gopi, who came here from India with her extended family 12 years ago, goes to a local secondary school. Her family runs a grocery store and a tailoring shop in Tai Wai, New Territories.

Gopi wears henna tattoos and invests a lot of energy on personal styling. "My henna tattoos have become the envy of my classmates. I'm proud of that. My classmates swarm around me to see the new patterns and compliment me on the delicate designs."

"My daughter is overflowing with pattern ideas," her mom tells China Daily. "Many customers stop by and stare at her tattoos. We offered to give them tattoos. It's been a profitable sideline."

The henna tattoo is all about muse, innovation and a liberal mind, says Kwok. "There's no such thing as a fixed henna template. Just like graffiti in Hong Kong, when an inspiration flashes, the designer simply whips up the pencil," he adds. "Henna overlaps with street art in its impromptu element."

There is no question that flowers are a primary subject of henna design, but having a hand or arm showing more than one type of flower is considered amateurish. "Traditional henna art sets one hand, one floral variety only. It implies all the blossoms come from a single seed. The implication is 'harmony'," Kwok explains. "Today, however, many henna artists don't strictly observe it."

Gopi's mom believes Hong Kong people are still a bit conservative regarding the imported art. "Most of them can hardly stomach a full-arm henna tattoo, but it's an acquired taste and it's just a matter of time before it catches on."

jenny@chinadailyhk.com

Paisley patterns are a staple of Indian-style henna tattoo while the Middle-Eastern varieties have more geometrical elements. Edmond Tang / China Daily

Kwok Chun-kei insists on personal knowledge of his clients before adorning their arms.

(HK Edition 11/12/2014 page7)