By: Chenyang Nie

This May, Artistry Edge presented Duo-Tale: A Twin-Made Fantasy Journey, a telling and emotionally rich exhibition by Chenxin and Chenyi, twin artists who use illustration as a lens to dream, question, and reconstruct their worlds. Through vibrant colors and delicately structured narratives, the two artists build a multidimensional realm where fairy-tale imagination meets the intimate textures of reality.

Rooted in a deep emotional bond and mutual understanding, Chenxin and Chenyi’s collaborative practice begins with their shared identity as twins. Their creative dialogue continuously explores the tension between individuality and togetherness — between “I” and “we.” Duo-Tale is both a mirror and a branching path, a place where duality becomes a generative force, and viewers are invited into visual stories that echo and diverge.

Dollhouse Dreams, 2024

“In Dollhouse Dreams, the two girls are symbolic versions of us,” the twins explain. “They aren’t living through separate dreams, but journeying together through a continuous timeline of growth.” This series unfolds like a fairytale from an alternate world: What if we were twins in another reality? What space would we inhabit? What adventures would we undertake? From early pieces that depict playful, childlike settings to more recent works where the characters age into more realistic environments, the “dollhouse” becomes a metaphor — a small, safe universe where ideal life and pure emotion co-exist. “While painting, we kept recalling memories of childhood—playing with sisters and friends, the little warm things. This series became more than a fantasy; it was a reconstruction of our inner world.”

Cinema Escape, 2024

One of their earliest collaborative efforts, Cinema Escape blends graphic flatness with bold color to construct immersive visual narratives. Drawing inspiration from their own movie-going experiences, the series expresses a longing to enter the cinematic universe. As avatars for the audience, the artists insert themselves into iconic film scenes, creating works that are simultaneously tributes and reinterpretations. “This project explores the blurry line between reality and fantasy,” they note. “It reflects our emotional relationship with storytelling, and the desire to live within it.”

Magic of the Mirror, 2024

This heartwarming storybook-style series introduces Mr. Piggy, a small pig who cannot look up at the sky due to his body’s design. “Mr. Piggy symbolizes how we often feel — restricted by life’s circumstances, unable to see the beauty around us,” the twins explain. When gifted a mirror that reflects the sky, he begins a journey in search of a higher vantage point. But the mirror shatters. Surprisingly, each shard reveals a unique fragment of the sky. “We love this shift — it reminds us that even in brokenness, beauty persists. Often, what we seek is already present in another form.” With this work, Chenxin and Chenyi offer a gentle reminder to slow down and notice the tender, fleeting moments of joy that surround us.

Other Highlights

In works like Emotions and Heterotopia – Tea Party Glimpse, the duo continues to refine their emotional language, bringing the inner landscapes of human connection and psychological space into focus. Whether exploring interpersonal distance or collective fantasy, each piece becomes part of a larger dialogue about duality, empathy, and co-creation.

Duo-Tale is not only a visual journey but also a testament to the power of shared imagination. It asks: What does it mean to create with someone who reflects you, but is not you? For Chenxin and Chenyi, twinship is more than a biological bond — it is an ever-evolving creative ecosystem. Their collaboration is not about sameness, but about contrast, resonance, and divergence. Through art, they examine how two identities can move in harmony while retaining their individuality, how emotions can be processed jointly yet differently, and how storytelling becomes richer when shaped by multiple lenses.

In the flowing exchange between unity and separation, Chenxin and Chenyi offer a compelling answer — one where stories multiply, emotions mirror, and twinship becomes a language of its own. Duo-Tale invites viewers into this space of dual authorship, encouraging them to reflect on their own relationships, identities, and inner worlds. In a time when individuality is often prized above all else, Duo-Tale reminds us of the quiet strength and creative potential that lies in true, empathetic collaboration.