Os Gêmeos (translated as “The Twins”) is a pair of twin brothers from São Paulo, born in 1974, whose real names are Gustavo and Otávio Pandolfo. Both graduated in communication and design and started painting graffiti in the 80s in the Cambuci neighborhood, where they grew up.
The duo gradually became one of the most important influences in São Paulo, helping to define the Brazilian street art scene. However, today their pieces can be found in cities in the US, England, Germany, and a number of other countries. Heavily influenced by Hip Hop culture, their themes range from family portraits to social and political critique.
One of the most significant features of their work is that, unlike many other urban artists, their canvas is not always limited to city walls. Often times they will utilize a number of surfaces, allowing them to guide the way the viewer experiences the artwork. In this way, seemingly insignificant elements and the streets where they are located are transformed into an outdoor museum for all to enjoy.
Key elements that characterize their work are a fine black outline stroke and the use of a wide color palette. In addition, their characters tend to be enormous, yellow in color often with uneven proportions, and somewhat cartoonish. They are apparently depicted in this way to draw attention to the most worrying aspects of the political and social environment in Brazil and in South America. Often times rhetorical references, metaphors, and paradoxes are used along with these figures resulting in a somewhat melancholic message tinged with frivolity.
The twins have managed to create a whole universe of their own and transport it to the streets of the world, where anyone can have a look. You can follow their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/osgemeos/ and be amazed by their sense of irony and clever use of environmental features.