© Gudrun Eva Minervudottir — © Ariko Inaoka

Ariko Inaoka’s hauntingly beautiful photography book Eagle and Raven captures a series of photos taken from 2009 to 2016 of identical twins Erna and Hrefna, which translates to Eagle and Raven in Icelandic, in their hometown of Reykjavik, Iceland.

Inaoka’s photographs and words read as an ode to nature and the parallel lives of Eagle and Raven, who go to the same school together and practice ballet every day.

The symbolism in her photography is representative of balance, togetherness and nature. The elements earth, wind and air are a recurring theme that are incorporated with images of the sisters throughout the book. Eagle and Raven appear in much of his work as “two living as one.”

“I am another you,” writes Inaoka . “A You that is also an Other. So, when I sing my life’s song, I am singing about you. When I immerse myself in warm water, you are soothed and cleansed. When I step out of the water, you are born again. I am deeply moved by your every movement. When you hide from me, I do not see myself.”

As the sisters get older and time progresses, the theme of nature too changes, and the landscape around them is altered. Spring changes to summer, which then changes to fall and then comes to winter. The lush green grass upon which Raven and Eagle play is transformed into ice. A full moon gives way to a dark night filled with blurry stars and the green glowing lights of the aurora borealis.

“Dark forest of time, we bow to you—but playful, never out of submission. Your weight is not ours to shoulder, but yours alone,” writes Inaoka.

Raven and Eagle share a bond that transcends the physical body and converges at the meeting of two minds that function as one. They are a reflection of each other in mind and body. When one looks in the mirror, she sees not herself but, instead, she sees her sister.

Identical twins share 99.9% of the same DNA and also have almost nearly identical brain wave patterns. Inaoka never photographs one sister without the other. They are always side by side, in harmony with each other and the universe.

“You are my sister. And you and you and you. We share everything, especially the green furry beasts we call ‘land.’ Hills rise and fall beneath our feet. We speak softly and remember fondly. Our tenderness is the force behind our growth. Our imagination is divine, our watery silence in tune with the stars. Our hearts are strong enough to bear the enormity of bliss,” writes Inaoka.