Twin sisters Anna and Elena Balbusso took their sisterhood a step further when they decided to join creative forces, creating the artistic duo know as Anna + Elena = Balbusso Twins. Having illustrated more than 40 books, it’s clear they’re a force to be reckoned with. Their illustrated books include masterpieces by authors like G. Chaucer, W. Shakespeare, A. Pushkin, and G. De Maupassant as well as contemporary authors like Margaret Atwood.
“We work together on all projects, even when we divide the tasks,” the two shared in an interview with CreativeFluff Magazine. “There are many phases of a project that they can be easily divided between us, overall we decide together which is the best way to work and we agree on the final result.”
According to the Balbusso twins, working together is as easy and natural for them as drinking a glass of water. “There is no competition between us,” they add. “It would not be possible to work together if one dominates the other. There is a lot of joy to share the credit. We share the credit and successes but also difficulties and fatigue.”
Aside from illustrating books, the sisters had their illustrations featured in magazines as big as The New Yorker magazine, The New York Times Sunday, and Le Monde.“Every project is different,” they explain. And much like their varied work, so does their sources of inspiration vary.
“There is not a specific art period but art in general, from Ancient Rome mural painting (frescoes at Pompeii), Italian Renaissance, Romanticism (prelude of modern art) Modern Art (symbolism, surrealism, Russian constructivism, Italian Futurism) and Contemporary Art,” they relay. “In all our work there is a clear reference to artists and paintings.”
