Saman Oskouei (born 1985) and Sasan Oskouei (born 1991) are multidisciplinary artists and brothers from Tabriz, Iran, currently located in Brooklyn, New York. With strong roots in urban culture, the brothers have collaboratively created a large portfolio consisting of installation, painting, sculpture, interventions, video and photography. From a vein of eloquent site-specific commentary on pressing political and social issues, the Oskouei brothers have gradually developed an abstract visual language – a continuation of their quest for simple yet powerful visual statements. 

Nature is a constant reference in their current practice and has informed the duo’s work since their beginnings in Iran, where the mountainous regions around Tabriz offered freedom from the authoritarian rule of the Islamic Republic. It has since formed the backdrop of concise comments on climate change, the refugee crisis and political problems. At this point, their ongoing investigation into the rhythms of nature and the place of its changing seasons in our imagination has paved the way for a visual and sculptural idiom that takes the form of quiet, poetic gestures. Meditating on the resilience and adaptability of the natural forces, the artists envision humanity forever enfolded in the ongoing processes of a nature in constant flux.

Rather than loud or loaded statements, the Oskouei brothers excel in artistic expressions of an eye-opening lucidity that foster hope and continue to generate alternatives to the status quo. Threaded through their practice is the constant reminder that right around the corner of the cities and societies we have built, there is always the possibility of a different world.

Earlier artistic career

Saman and Sasan Oskouei started their art practice in the streets of Tabriz Iran in the 2000s. Under their nickname Icy & Sot, the duo first combined its interest in skateboarding, its aesthetic and culture, with street art using mainly stencils, their work addressed social and humanitarian issues in an environment with limited tolerance for freedom of thoughts and speech. Navigating this environment required speed of execution and discretion, which influenced their work and led them to explore methods that enable complex work to be quickly executed in an urban setting.

The duo migrated to Brooklyn, United States, in 2012, where they practice under their names, Saman and Sasan Oskouei, together forming Oskouei Studio. While the first decade of their work was that of street artists, the second decade greatly focused on interventions, installations and sculptures using materials such as wood or steel.

Amongst others, they are known for revisiting chain-link fences to create sculptures surfacing realities of borders, migration and identity. An example of these works is their permanent art installation in Lisbon, Portugal, of a European Flag made of steel fence and barbed wire, evoking the physical barriers and difficult conditions faced by asylum seekers while conveying the hope that takes them through that journey.

The brothers collaboratively create nuanced political work, known for its simplicity yet resilience and positive undertone. They address humanitarian topics such as borders and refugees, capitalism and inequalities, woman’s rights and environmental issues. While the nature of the messages Saman and Sasan convey is quite consistent throughout their work, the techniques and materials used are versatile and playful, from paintings and sculptures, performances and interventions, to videos and photography. In their approach, the medium is secondary to the message and serves to support and deliver the latter