Elaine Chu and Marina Perez- Wong are the dynamic duo behind the mural arts collaboration Twin Walls Mural Company. They believe in the power of visual narratives to capture and reflect a community's history, struggles, dreams, and intentions. Both San Francisco natives, Elaine and Marina met at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts in 1997 and instantly formed a friendship. They began painting community murals professionally with Precita Eyes Muralists Association 25 years ago under the guidance of Susan Kelk Cervantes who became their mentor and close friend (Or as they call her “art mom”). They formed TWMC in 2013 and have since designed and painted over 60 murals in California and New York City. 

 

Marina Perez-Wong is a cancer survivor and thriver, mixed race (mostly Xicana/ Chinese- and Native American/hybrid), San Francisco- “Mission girl” who comes from a long line of

artists, caregivers, land lovers, laborers, revolutionaries, and humanitarians with a solid work ethic.

 

Elaine Chu is a Chinese American San Francisco Native and Oakland resident. She is deeply invested in her community and has seen the positive impact and power of public art to

change and uplift different communities all over the world. Art is transformative and it is the role of the artist to be the vessel that brings stories to life and preserving the past.

 

Their work reflects growing up in the Bay Area, celebrating the women and individuals who inspire them, connections shared in humanity, acknowledging those who came before us, making other hidden figures visible, and other changes they wish to manifest. This is expressed through a plethora of symbolism, heavily saturated color, contrast, and semi realistic subject matter. Their work is motivated by the healing of current and generational trauma, community, history, local and global politics, education, and the transformation of the viewer and themselves through visual language. One of their greatest representations of this ideology is currently featured at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on the 5th floor. Their mural entitled “Our Ancestors Wildest Dreams” (2020) is a celebration of triumph over the past, acknowledgement of our present and manifesting what they look forward to in the future. They completed their largest mural in 2023 on the PG&E Substation on Commercial Street near the TransAmerica Building dedicated to William Leidesdorff which was funded by the Mayor’s Office. Elaine and Marina have also collaborated with and executed murals for Favianna Rodriguez, Emory Douglas and Toyin Odultula.