Image via Complex Original
From Marina Abramović and Ulay to Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, when two creative geniuses come together, the results are astounding. The same applies to street art. Across the globe, artists have joined forces to create some of the most mind-boggling works that adorn city streets around the world. Playing off each other’s strengths, these artists use anything from the customary spray paint to pieces of colored fabric to create incredible works of art. Find out if two is really better than one with our list of 20 Awesome Street Art Duos You Should Know.
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Icy and Sot
Based in: Brooklyn
Brothers Icy and Sot fell in love with street art in Iran, a place were being caught doing graffiti could land you with an accusation of Satanism. Even so, the duo has managed to use street art as a way to illustrate their reaction to global issues as well as human rights.
Jana & JS
Based in: Salzburg, Austria
Couple Jana & JS create works made up of portraiture as well as architectural elements. Moving away from walls, the artists' latest canvases have been tree trunks, which they paint with charming, miniature figures.
Telmo Miel
Based in: Rotterdam, Netherlands
Self proclaimed "CREATØRS ØF CØNTEMPØRARY ART," artists Telmo Pieper and Miel Krutzmann plaster the streets of European cities and beyond with hyperrealistic portraits, ranging from cooing babies to flamingo skulls.
Dabs Myla
Based in: Los Angeles
Originally from Melbourne, couple Dabs and Myla have taken the LA street art scene by storm with their sexually charged murals. Behind the smiles of their characters are dirty jokes just waiting to happen.
How and Nosm
Based in: New York
Twins Raoul and Davide Perre are the men behind the massive How and Nosm murals. With complex compositions comprised solely of red, black, and white, their work is instantly recognizable. Their work tends to focus on the darker side of life, including themes of substance abuse as well misuse of power.
Hygienic Dress League
Based in: Detroit, Mich.
Composed of Steve and Dorota Coy, Hygienic Dress League is slowly changing the face of Detroit's streets with their ominous figures wearing gas masks.
Best Ever
Based in: Dorset, England
Street art duo Hadley and Neil take on photorealism in a way that looks at the human body through an anatomical lens, portraying the things we know are there but probably will never see. Best Ever seeks to create art that confronts the idea of the human body as inherently beautiful, and instead magnifies the human body's slow but steady decline.
Interesni Kazki
Based in: Kiev, Ukraine
Street artists AEC and Waone come together under the name Interesni Kazki. Their work draws a lot of inspiration from their travels, with each new adventure offering a new perspective and influence. They produce street art that overflows with color and surreal imagery in murals across the globe.
FAILE
Based in: New York
Patrick Miller and Patrick McNeil fuse printing techniques with typography, collage, and stenciling to create their unmistakable pieces. With subject matter that draws from mainstream culture, FAILE's affinity with pop art icons, like Roy Lichtenstein, is apparent.
Zebrating
Based in: Mannheim, Germany
Hiding in plain site, the work of street art duo Zebrating is trademarked by its serendipitous placement. Positioned within the interior of public rails, their work remains completely hidden until approached by the perfect angle, revealing scintillating figures.
The London Police
Based in: London
The London Police is made up of artists Chaz and Bob, as well as their signature character LADS. The multi-headed figure can be seen in murals throughout the world.
Sten Lex
Based in: Rome
Sten (Stencil) and Lex (Law) can be considered pioneers of stencil art in Italy. Their huge murals are constructed using a halftone technique, which forms their signature linear style. Their large-scale portraits are usually depictions of anonymous people or pictures from old family albums.
CYRCLE.
Based in: Los Angeles
With constant commentary on the balance between order and chaos, Rabī and Davey's predilections toward anarchy as well as mythologies of power are threads woven through almost all of their massive works of art.
Caktus & Maria
Based in: San Severo, Italy
Caktus and Maria, a couple as well as masters of street art, have perfected the art of shading combined with an explosive use of color. Most of their works are tributes to iconic writers and poets, one of which is Charles Bukowski.
Miss Bugs
Based in: Barcelona, Spain
Self proclaimed "image-makers" Miss and Bugs use their provocative street art to illustrate the troubles and triumphs of modern times. Using a variety of methods, Miss Bugs creates their street art using collage, silk-screen, stencils, and tons of other innovative techniques.
Os Gêmeos
Based in: São Paolo
Identical twin brothers Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo have been marking Sāo Paolo's streets up with yellow characters since the '80s. Brazilian folktales along with São Paolo's socio-political conditions are often sources of inspiration for the duo. Recently Os Gêmeos has taken a break from murals for a more airborne backdrop, which just happens to be the Brazil national team's plane for this year's World Cup.
Etam Cru
Based in: Poland
Artists' Sainer and Bezt come together under the pseudonym Etam Cru. Trademarked by their vibrant color pallets and gigantic murals across the globe, Etam Cru brings a bit of Eastern European folklore and symbolism to each of their works.
Herakut
Based in: Germany
Hera + Akut = Herakut. It's a simple enough equation that blends Akut's taste for photorealism, and Hera's talent of adding a certain roughness to their compositions. The fusion of such distinct approaches to street art enables artwork that seamlessly intertwines two styles on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Urban X Stitch
Based in: Lyon, France
Vanessa and Stéphane, a pair of street artists hailing from Lyon, have transformed your grandmother's cross-stitch into a viable form of street art. Primarily done on chain-linked fences, the duo uses strips of colorful fabric to create their meticulously planned works of art.
Orticanoodles
Based in: Milan
Wally and Alita are two street artists who came together under the alias Orticanoodles. Widely know for their intricate stencil work, Orticanoodles uses the streets of Milan as their "open-air museum," displaying works of art that dismantle the notions of celebrity all the while mesmerizing spectators with their multi-layered aesthetic.