Lehmann Maupin presents OSGEMEOS’ fourth presentation with the gallery and first in Palm Beach. Recognized for their symbolic visual language often inspired by their similar dreams as twins, Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo offer a new body of work that delves further into their fantasy world.
Active since the 1980s, OSGEMEOS have become internationally known for their distinct figurative style that features long-limbed yellow characters with thin outlines, enlarged faces, and simplified features, as well as for their use of vibrant colors and elaborate patterns. While they have drawn upon New York graffiti movements, the duo has also been inspired by the ingenuity and resourcefulness evident in their working class neighborhood of Cambuci, São Paulo, and sought to make their art accessible to the community. The artists often incorporate images of masks and musical instruments in their work to visualize the folk customs, festivals, and crafts that represent the myriad cultural influences that make up the social and cultural landscape of São Paulo.
In Pupila/Pupil (2021), two female figures encased in a glass orb appear at once as elements of the landscape and as parts of a human eye. Oscillating between the micro and the macro, the composition suggests a spiritual balance in which the two figures together constitute a whole, like a yin and yang. OSGEMEOS often allude to this notion of duality by incorporating the sun and moon, which dually symbolize masculine and feminine forces. In The Break Dance Show (2021), a figure holds a boombox above his head while holding a puppet representation of himself, as if he is giving a sidewalk show. Adorned with patterned clothing, this work evidences OSGEMEOS’ stylistic influences that range from magazines and movies to music and hip-hop culture.
In addition to their solo presentation in Palm Beach, OSGEMEOS’ work is the subject of a traveling survey exhibition Segredos (Secrets), which originated at Pinacoteca de Estado de São Paulo, and is currently on view at Museu Oscar Niemeyer in Curitiba, Brazil. They are also included in the exhibition Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles, CA.