The Surreal World of Icelandic Twins

The global population of twins today stands at around 1.9%, that is to say 10 million ‘real’ monozygotic twins. In Reykjavik in Iceland, two sisters explore the boundaries of their similarities. Their names are Erna (Eagle) and Hrefna (Raven). Photographer Ariko Inaoka spent seven summers at their side.

Born in 1975 in Kyoto, Ariko Inaoka moved to the United States when she turned 17 and graduated with a BFA in photography from the Parsons School of Design in New York. Upon returning to Kyoto, she decided to take over the family restaurant, which opened in 1465, alongside continuing her photographic career.

An inexplicable telepathic power

‘I have never seen such a strong connection between two human beings. There is always a peaceful harmony between them’, says Ariko Inaoka in the publication Eagle and Raven. The sisters, who were nine when the series started and sixteen when it ended, follow the same routine, go to the same school, and take the same dance classes. Throughout dreamlike and surreal images, the twins always appear intertwined, playing upon just one or two physical similarities—their legs, or their faces, for example. Always from angles that present diverse ways of opposing or associating their bodies, the images are often taken against rugged natural backdrops.

The artist explains how the twins described their connection, claiming to even have the same dreams. Beyond an artistic project, Ariko Inaoka was profoundly marked by the experience, notably by the telepathic relationship that she witnessed, as ‘one of the many inexplicable things in this world.’ The artist writes, ‘being with Erna and Hrefna leads me to believe that we have more natural power in us than we actually know.’

The artist’s other work includes various series dedicated to nature and the environment, featuring rose petals, open skies, glaciers, lights, and fires.

Eagle and Raven (2020) is a series by Ariko Inaoka, and the book is published by AKAAKA.