Anyone who has sat in on a mehndi session knows how long the beautiful, delicate art form can take. So when BuzzFeed created a hyperlapse video of celebrity mehndi artist Neha Assar in action, the results were nothing short of hypnotic.
In the video (which features seven hours of artwork condensed into 95 seconds), Assar adorns a woman’s hands and feet with henna paste. She swirls on dots, loops, lines, and other patterns traditional to the 5,000-year-old art form. It’s a specialty of Assar’s, who also modernizes the customary practice for Indian brides by doing unexpected designs — like the one below that integrates hip-hop hand signs. "When the bride and groom are major hip-hop heads," she explains in her caption.
Assar shows the real-time process through other snaps and Facebook videos. But watching her handiwork sped up has a completely different effect — one that’s both soothing and entrancing. Watch it above and let us know what you think in the comments below.