If you belong to the Cairo hipster scene, you’ve probably caught a glimpse of a bob of curly, black hair out of the corner of your eye at an underground art exhibition, but in a blur of handbags and notebooks it’s gone by the time you turn your head.

Later at an electronic music show so obscure no one knows it’s happening, a wavy halo of hair is illuminated in the neon, but disappears just as quickly behind an oversized camera and blinding flash.

You might not know that this evanescent silhouette belongs to Mai Elwakil, culture editor and co-founder of the Arab arts channel Medrar TV, who is known for her sharp but fair critique of what Egypt has to offer in terms of art. Be it literature, fine arts, cinema or music, Mai is always on the lookout for trends that shape the country’s artistic metamorphosis, while tapping into local and regional art history for context and perspective.