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Saira Siddiqui

Saira Siddiqui

ARTIST BIO

Having grown up in Buffalo, NY, Saira has always had a creative spirit. She is an artist, a dancer, a musician, and an urban planner. After her first year of college in art school, she changed her major and focused on designing cities, another creative endeavor. She lived in Oregon, managing downtown revitalization nonprofits from 2013-2017. After 4 years, she quit her job and proceeded to go on a journey to India. Well… at least it started in India. Without knowing where she was off to next, she let the universe gently guide her through the world. On the outside, was an urban planner. Executive Director. Student of places. But on the inside, she has always been an artist. A musician. A dancer. When the time came to return to the states, I knew that I had to make a switch. The responsible working woman would take the back seat, and the artist must come forward. An act of vulnerability and trust in the universe.

Throughout this stage of refinding her creative self, she started a mehndi (Indian word for ‘henna’) business. She started doing mehndi when she was small at cultural ceremonies and weddings. This came around when she quit her job, came across some mehndi cones, and put them to good use! In India, she worked with a mehndi artist, and proceeded to took her newfound skill and put it to the test. She traded mehndi for food, beer and cash as she traveled around the world, practicing and exploring.

Saira moved back to Buffalo in January 2019. She is reconnecting with her Buffalo roots, with the realization that before she can go further out into the world, she must go deeper in. She is embracing her inner artist as an act of healing. Through mehndi, she sees not only the healing that occurs within her, but also the healing that takes place in others, through close human touch and connection. To see her henna work, visit www.thecosmicwanderer.com.


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