I (Dr. Olga Engelhardt) have professional training as a publisher as well as experience working as a couturier in Frankfurt-on-Main before receiving my Abitur.

In the 1980s, I studied ethnology and Arabic, obtaining my doctorate with a dissertation about the creation of Algerian women's wedding costumes (mainly gold embroidery work) in Algeria's large informal economy, and Algerian women's culture more generally. Since 1994 I have worked arranging expositions for several museums, among them the exposition "Hochzeit im Maghreb" (Marriage in Maghreb) at the Ethnological Museum of Berlin.

In addition, I have held a teaching position at the Ethnological Institute of the Freie Universität Berlin where I and my students arranged multi-media installations about their field research, resulting in the films "Herstellung einer Hochzeitsdecke" (The Weaving of a Wedding Rug) and "Gerben in Marrakesch" (Leather Tanning in Marrakesh). I and my students also organized the "Henna tattoos" project, making skin-quality henna and Tunisian henna stencils available for the larger European public, while providing income for the Tunisian women who make them.

What was at first intended as an educational project for the exposition "Hochzeit im Maghreb" (Marriage in Mahgreb) at the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, in which non-artists could celebrate a Tunisian "Henna Ceremony" at home, soon developed into a project similar to those which provide "fairly traded" coffee and tea.

I and one of my students are expanding this project to make henna. stencils and other beauty products available for henna artists and others, specifically from Yemen and Syria.

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Photos of olga_rashida (14)

  • Very tall ancient mirror reflecting me in the courtyard of the Qasr Al-Azem, قصر العظم‎ by olga_rashida
  • In der Touristenfalle auf dem Place Jemaa El Fna by olga_rashida
  • Me working at the Qatar-German-Open by olga_rashida
  • Me and my sister Octavia by olga_rashida
  • self portrait by olga_rashida
  • self portrait by olga_rashida
  • I beside an ancient front door in Sanaa' (Yemen) by olga_rashida
  • Portrait of me with a hennaed hand by olga_rashida
  • Portrait of me by olga_rashida
  • Me in an old silk brocade garment and silver-jewellry from Yemen by olga_rashida
  • Me in a sumptuous red dress from Qatar by olga_rashida
  • I with my daughter Nina at the Mont St. Michel by olga_rashida
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Testimonials (2)

  • view profile

    cphilruns says:

    "I really dont know where to begin in praise for this wonderful lady who never ceases to amaze me with her talent and outright artistic ability. Not strictly a photographer but an all around artist whose Henna drawing's I find marvelous. Olga's personality is as wonderful as her talent and she has helped me on numerous occasions when I have had questions that I felt that she alone could answer. Olga here's to you my wonderful, forthright, and talented Flickr friend."

    5th July, 2008

  • view profile

    hans j. knospe says:

    "dear olga,
    when I discovered your photostream I was impressed how profound you are presenting your images with background and informations. After I´ve read your profile it became clear that this person knows what she is showing and talking about. But step by step I saw the variety in your sets, travel, subjects and themes with a deep and special love for the arabic culture, above all the women life style and "The Art of Henna", which I know a bit from my visits in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tunesia. I think it would be wonderful if more people would know about your positive work to balance the sad stories and facts in the female arabic world from a point of view about Human Rights etc. To me everything starts with the elimination of prejudices in all aspects of art, education, culture, religion and even spirituality.
    My best wishes, courage, joy and - success - even if this is relative!"

    27th April, 2008

Name:
Olga Engelhardt
Joined:
March 2007
Currently:
Berlin, Germany
I am:
Female
Occupation:
Social Anthropologist/ Arabist
Website:
Henna-Tattoo und Zubehoer
Email:
info [at] henna-und-mehr.de