Os Gemeos

Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1974. 
Live and work in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sunbath in the Shadow, 2007

Acrylic, latex and spray on wooden door
79 X 32.5 in

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Sunbath in the Shadow

Os Gemeos (“The Twins”) are a pair of artists made up of twin brothers Gustavo and Otávio Pandolfo, whose careers began with painting graffiti on the streets of Sao Paulo in 1987, becoming an important point of reference and defining the style of street art in Brazil.

Their work is characterized by colossal murals in which they portray yellow figures who represent their own family members and the diverse inhabitants that can be found in the cities of Latin America, like poor children, immigrants from the countryside, unemployed youths, office workers, and others.  Their intention with these images is to exhibit Brazilian folklore and comment on the political and social circumstances of Sao Paulo.  Os Gemeos see their paintings as the physical manifestation of the joyful, fantastic world of their dreams, and with them they aspire to give people hope.

Although the duo is best known for their street art, they also create installations, drawings, paintings and sculptures.  They frequently paint on disused doors, as is the case with Sunbath in the Shadow.  For them, doors offer an entryway onto another plane of existence, and when they accumulate in series they portray the narrative of a crowded neighborhood, a common sight in Brazilian cities.