El Teneen

El Teneen "the Dragon" is the pseudonym of an anonymous 29-year-old Egyptian graffiti artist whose work gained popularity and notoriety in Egypt following the 2011 Egyptian revolution.

El Teneen originally formed half of "Team El Teneen", or "Dragon Team"; however, the artist now mostly works independently. His works of art have been described as "icons of the January 25 Revolution".

El Teneen was not an experienced artist before the 2011 revolution, having mainly focused on abstract painting and studying a science-related field, and he would work in graphic design.

Although graffiti has proliferated in Egyptian cities since the revolution, El Teneen noted that most of it “isn't political… You might say people are expressing themselves, but the streets are not not yet ours".
El Teneen also said her work is not just political, saying that "even if the political situation here is resolved...we will still have to talk about women, religion and other issues."

El Teneen's work is known for its political nature. In particular, a spray-painted image of a chessboard depicting an overthrown king surrounded by bishops, knights, and rooks opposed by several rows of amassed pawns that the artist drew on the campus of the American University in Cairo, which has been widely noticed. His work is not only political, however, as he also participated in an exhibition called “Black and White", in which he represented a series of cultural icons of Egyptian cinema.

Since the revolution, his work has been noted for its revolutionary character and its criticism of the SCAF.