This Egyptian Nail Artist Put a Spinning Tanoura Man on Her Nails

Egyptian nail artist Faye turns the hypnotic Tanoura dance into a tiny, spinning work of nail art.

Egyptian nail artist Faye of ClawsByFaye has taken nail art for a spin, quite literally. Her latest set features a tiny Tanoura dancer whose colourful skirt actually rotates on the nail, turning one of Egypt’s most mesmerising folk performances into a miniature moving artwork.

For those unfamiliar, the Tanoura is rooted in Sufi traditions and influenced by the Turkish Mevlevi tradition of whirling dervishes. The continuous spinning is traditionally associated with devotion, reflection and a search for closeness to God. In Egypt, the practice evolved into its own distinctive form, with vibrant layered skirts, music and rhythmic movement turning the spiritual tradition into a celebrated part of Egyptian folk performance.

“I’ve always been inspired by Tanoura and the real meaning behind it, and the Islamic culture behind it,” Faye says. “I thought, why not do it on the thing I do best, the nails?”

But Faye wasn’t interested in simply painting a Tanoura-inspired pattern onto a nail. She wanted to recreate the movement itself. After spending time figuring out how to make the rotating element work, she created a miniature Tanoura dancer with a skirt that actually spins.

“I’ve never seen Egyptian culture represented on nails. It’s always Pharaohs for nail artists, so I thought, why not make something different that’s more relevant to today?”

Faye launched ClawsByFaye in 2023 after years of doing her own nails and experimenting on her family. With a largely American audience on Instagram, the set also became an opportunity to spotlight a distinctly Egyptian reference rather than looking outward for inspiration.

“We don’t have to be inspired by the West,” Faye says. This time, the inspiration is spinning right at our fingertips.