"If you get caught, you will be accused of Satanism": banned street art from two brothers from Iran

Street artists often turn city walls into a platform for highly social statements: these are the Briton Banksy, and the Russian Pasha183, and many other authors. Two brothers from Iran ICY and SOT are engaged in street art, which is banned in their country: the community of Iranian street artists is estimated at only six to ten people. After two or three days, any graffiti is erased, so it is important for them to photograph their work. The brothers dedicate drawings to wars, inequality, lack of freedom and consumer society.

Artists on the background of one of their drawings in Brooklyn. ICY is on the right, and SOT is on the left. They don't give their real names.

When the brothers opened their first exhibition in Soho, they calmly explained how difficult it is to be a street artist in Iran: "If you get caught, they can incriminate completely different things. You will be accused of Satanism."

Shortly before leaving for New York, the artists were arrested and kept locked up for five days, they spent an hour blindfolded. The brothers were lucky that the police did not catch them drawing: then the consequences would have been more serious. In such situations, only bribes can help.

Parents support their sons in their decision to live in the United States, but this means that they will not be able to return to Iran. They have to communicate on Facebook, although this social network is banned in Iran.

ICY and SOT find New York fantastic and enjoy being able to study the work of other street artists live, which they previously could only see on the Internet. And the brothers are also delighted that no one erases their work: "Here the drawings remain on the streets for a year or even longer, so many people can see them."

Brothers always work in pairs. Of course, they come up with different ideas, but when it comes to drawing on the walls, they always do it together.