Os Gemeos

Influences

Hip hop culture reached Brazil in the late eighties and appealed to a lot of the country's teenagers at the time. The twins started out as breakdancers and got involved with the graffiti aspect later on. Of course, their first steps into the graffiti world were attempts to emulate American hip hop pieces, in early New York style. It was not until some years later that they started to consciously put Brazilian cultural elements and influences into their graffiti.

Their first significant artistic influence outside their immediate environment, and their limited access to American hip hop (Style Wars, Subway Art, Beat Street), stemmed from a chance encounter with Barry McGee (also known as Twist), who happened to be in Brazil for several months on a study abroad program through the San Francisco Art Institute in 1993. Technique and experience were shared, and McGee provided them with a lot of photographic examples from the American graffiti scene. Through Barry McGee, OSGEMEOS met Allen Benedikt (founder of 12oz Prophet Magazine and also part Brazilian), who together with Caleb Neelon (also known as Sonik) became the first to interview them after a trip to Brazil in 1997 (12oz Prophet Magazine Issue 6; 1998), which became OSGEMEOS' introduction to audiences outside of South America.

Works in Brazil

As the home country of Os Gemeos, Brazil has many works by the twins. Because subway systems and trains are often an object of pride in Brazilian cities, and therefore especially well guarded, they were never on top of the list of graffiti canvases (in sharp contrast with graffiti in other countries). But as of the early 2000s a couple of high-profile graffiti artists, OSGEMEOS being one of them, were invited to paint the trains legally. This raised the artists profile, allowing them to transition to commissioned work. Other large scaled public commissioned work, such as huge murals (for example the Avenida Paulista mural) followed afterwards. In 2009, they painted a mural in Vale de Anhangabau, São Paulo, commissioned by the SESC Brazil. Titled "The Foreigner," the piece was originally scheduled to be shown for thirty days, but widespread public approval allowed it to remain visible until the demolition of the building in 2012. For the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the duo was commission to decorate national soccer team's official Boeing 737 plane. The project used over 1,200 cans of spray paint to depict the diversity of Brazilian culture.

Asia

Compared to Europe, North America, and Southern America, Asia has the least number of works by Os Gemeos to date. In 2008, Os Gemeos painted several works in Mumbai, India, many of were still visible in 2016. More recently, Os Gemeos exhibitied at Art Basel in Hong Kong through the Lehmann Maupin gallery, based in Hong Kong and New York City.

Europe

Os Gemeos painted a 16 meter by 10 meter mural in the centre of Heerlen, the Netherlands. This painting determines part of cultural festival Cultura Nova. It was the inspiration source of the large opening act where the head character came to life in association with the French group La Plasticiens Volant. The show “L’Etranger” went in premiere on 29 August 2008 and was one-off seen on Cultura Nova. The wall painting continues to be preserved and is shown on the Schelmenhofje in Heerlen, the Netherlands. In 2008. Os Gemeos painted six large-scale murals on the Tate Modern in London, England. Only a temporary piece, the murals were removed after the exhibition period of three months. Lisbon, Portugal also features many works by Os Gemeos. In 2010 and 2011, Os Gemeos painted two large-scale murals on the sides of buildings. The project was planned by a public private commission and is considered representative of the Portuguese-Brazilian cultural relationship. Other cities in Europe which feature the work of Os Gemeos include Vilnius, Lithuania; Milan, Italy; and Berlin, Germany.

North America

In North America, Os Gemeos has painted extensively in the United States. Their first solo exhibition in the United States was at The Luggage Store in San Francisco, California in 2003. As part of the Dreamland Artist Club 2005 project, they painted a 130-foot mural in Coney Island on Stillwell Ave. In 2009, Os Gemeos painted their first mural in Manhattan on the northwest corner of Houston Street and the Bowery. The piece is notable for its colorful, fantastic, and imaginative composition, being compared to a work of magical realism. One of their works is a wall in Miami, Florida painted for Art Basel Miami Beach. Other cities include Boston and Los Angeles.

Outside of the United States, in 2014, Os Gemeos created their largest piece to date, titled "Giants," for the Vancouver Biennale in Vancouver, Canada on six industrial silos. Large and expensive, the work is notable in that it was payed for through crowdfunding.

Fine Art

Os Gemeos have exhibited fine art pieces across the world, including paintings, sculptures, installations, drawings, and performance pieces. Like many street artists who translate their work into the fie art world, Os Gemeos inhabits a difficult position between both worlds. While they have reached institutional acclaim, their work is still considered evocative of street art culture and is representative of hybrid style between both art worlds. In the gallery and on the street, their work has been described as "escapist fantasies," notable for its dreamy, illustrative, and patterned style. Observers have compered this dream-like aesthetic to the works of Hieronymus Bosch and M. C. Escher. The visibility and popularity of the art of Os Gemeos has increasingly led to commercial success. In 2013, they collaborated with luxury brand Louis Vuitton to design a scarf, alongside artist Retna and Lady Aiko. In 2016, an Untitled 2009 piece from Os Gemeos sold for over $300,000 at market, demonstrating the continued commercial and art world success of the artists.

To memorialize the importance of Os Gemeos to the art scene in Chelsea New York, a portrait of the twins was commissioned by a NYC street art program the New Allen. Painted by Jorit Agoch, the work can be found on Allen Street in Chelsea, NYC.

Controversy

In 2012, Os Gemeos painted a 70 foot by 70 foot public mural in Dewey Square in Boston, Massachusetts, which received public backlash. The piece, created in collaboration with the ICA and Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, depicted a young, yellow figure with its face wrapped in a red shirt. On a segment for Fox 25 News, commentators linked the image to racially-charged, post-9/11 fears of terrorism. Meanwhile, critical source generally considered it to be an incredibly successful public artwork. As the original commission was only temporary, the work was removed on schedule in 2013.

Quotes

"With rage, bliss and the power of their simultaneity, Os Gemeos have come to signify Brazilian graffiti itself to many viewers."

"Renowned for spray-painting with a kind of intuitive understanding, they have also gained recognition for their fantastic characters..."

Exhibitions (Selected)

Film