Os Gemeos

OSGEMEOS
OSGEMEOS at the 6th São Paulo Meeting of Hip Hop Artists (2012)
Born	Otavio Pandolfo Gustavo Pandolfo 1974 (age 42–43) São Paulo, Brazil
Known for	Painters, muralists, graffiti
Movement	Hip hop culture
Website	Official website

OSGEMEOS (also known as Os Gemeos or Os Gêmeos, Portuguese for The Twins), born 1974 in São Paulo, Brazil, are graffiti and street artists who are identical twin brothers Otavio Pandolfo and Gustavo Pandolfo. Os Gemeos started painting graffiti in 1987 and gradually became a main influence in the local scene, helping to define Brazil's style. Their work often features yellow-skinned characters - taken from the yellow tinge both of the twins have in their dreams - but is otherwise diverse and ranges from tags to complicated murals. Subjects range from family portraits to commentary on São Paulo's social and political circumstances, as well as Brazilian folklore. Their graffiti style was influenced by both traditional hip hop style and the Brazilian culture.

From their beginnings in Brazil to today, Os Gemeos has reached international acclaim and commercial success. Their work appears on streets and in galleries across the world. The duo are considered two of the most influential street artists within the genre.

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.