Egypt's rebellion on painted walls

Politics & Government

May 09, 2011 05:34 PM

Egypt's rebellion on painted walls

Graffiti related to the Egyptian revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak in February still dots Cairo walls, though cleaning crews have begun erasing the protest art as they work to beautify the country. Activists are now trying to preserve graffiti and other revolution memorabilia for history's sake. (Hannah Allam/MCT) MCT

Shimaa Hamdy, 23, stands in the downtown Cairo offices of her activist group, the Youth Movement for Justice and Freedom. The group has collected photographs and banners for safekeeping as artifacts of the revolution that toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February. (Hannah Allam/MCT) MCT

Paintings by Egyptian artists who were inspired by the revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak in February are on display in several galleries, including Cairo Atelier, pictured here on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. (Hannah Allam/MCT) MCT

Revolution inspired murals adorn a wall near the downtown campus of the American University in Cairo. (Dana Smillie/MCT) MCT

All that remains of the giant protest banner created by Fouad Mokhtar, 31, is a photo on his iPhone as the sign is surrounded by thousands of demonstrators during the Egyptian revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak in February. Activists are now trying to preserve revolution memorabilia for history's sake. (Hannah Allam/MCT) MCT

Revolution inspired murals, such as this one depicting a fallen king on a chessboard, adorn a wall near the downtown campus of the American University in Cairo. (Dana Smillie/MCT) MCT

Revolution inspired murals adorn a wall near the downtown campus of the American University in Cairo. (Dana Smillie/MCT) MCT

A man sells revolution inspired souvenirs in Tahrir Square. With the revolution inspired grafitti and public murals slowly being erased from Cairo's walls, souvenirs commemorating the January 25, 2011 revolution are a way to remember the historic events. (Dana Smillie/MCT) MCT

Mohamed Abla, one of Egypt's most esteemed contemporary artists, stands in front of a painting in his downtown Cairo studio that was inspired by recent events in Egypt. His approach to art was changed by the Egyptian revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak in February. Abla says artists must work to preserve visual memories of the revolution for history's sake. (Dana Smillie/MCT) MCT

A painting by Mohamed Abla was inspired by the demonstrations in Tahrir Square in January and February of 2011 that forced President Hosni Mubarak out of office. (Dana Smillie/MCT) MCT

This is a pre-revolution painting by Mohamed Abla. (Dana Smillie/MCT) MCT