Unidentical

What is it that makes a person the very person that he is?

Himself alone and not another.

For twins branded as “the twins�, the socially desired roles and expectations to which twins are supposed to conform, compensate for a lack of individual identity.

Did you notice the last twelve front portraits have been of only one twin?

The pair may look identical but how we think, act and react can be alike but also very distinct.

- End note

Being a twin feels unique and special because of the support, companionship and security it brings to each other without needing anybody else. This creates a strong bond between one another, which isunbreakable and that I hold very important and proud to have with my twin. The dependency with one another becomes critical to the point it becomes a weakness as you grow older. Twins are meant to be together with each other at all times and never separate, this social stigma society has created encourages the twins, especially parents to follow. There is always a “we, they, us” but never “I, him, me”. Constantly being told and seen as one unit, we often feel that you are not you without your twin. Therefore when you describe yourself you often use yourself as we, us.

Twins are seen as one because of the fact that they look identical but their differences are often under-looked than similarities. As I grew up I often began telling myself I do not feel like I know myself, who am I. It first started to frustrate me when my parents would respond to both of us when only one of us began to act out. Parents should be made aware to treat them as two separate individuals with their own minds and personalities, and become independent individuals because what seems to happen is it becomes difficult to get a grasp of your own unique personality when you get treated from a young age to be the same person. We should be encouraged to stand on our own feet, which is by determining your identity, not the identity society has created for us. We will have similarities but differences too, our unique attributes should be what’s recognised as our identity.

Being a twin is a blessing and I would never change that and my twin I hold very dearly but in order to build yourself you need to discover yourself first.

I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to all for your generous support in my project.

Photographers; Maria Stavang Gemma Thompson Twins; Nawal Gurung Nischal Gurung References; Maria Popova Ashley Nissen