What good is a ladder without structural integrity? Artist brothers Saman and Sasan Oskouei consider this question in The Weight of Less, an ongoing series of pocked wooden sculptures. From a school desk to a door to an industrial pallet, each humble item is punctured with irregular yet cohesive holes, rendering their former functions impractical.

“As layers are removed, the objects lose their original purpose while gaining a new presence,” the artists tell Colossal. “The carved spaces expose hidden rhythms, patterns, and relationships within the material, allowing absence to become an active part of the work.”

The brothers are longtime collaborators and previously worked under the name Icy & Sot. Their practice often utilizes everyday materials like fences and grass for broader social, political, and cultural critique. Lighter both physically and visually, the sculptures in The Weight of Less speak to the Oskoueis’ more understated mode of working by inviting us to consider the objects that structure our daily lives.

Explore more of the artist’s practice on their website and Instagram.