The Connor Brothers

Hell Is Empty

2021

The Connor Brothers are a pair of contemporary British artists producing funky Pop art. Their figurative, pin-up style prints and paintings often feature images of women and solid blocks of color punctuated by snippets of cheeky text. Each piece hints at a scene from a sensationalist story, inviting the viewer to fill in the rest.

The artists behind The Connor Brothers are Mike Snelle and James Golding. Former art dealers, the two began making art together in 2012. At first, they presented the work as being by the fictional American twins Franklyn and Brendan Connor. They even came up with an elaborate backstory: the brothers were escapees from a cult known as “The Family.”

Shortly after appearing on the scene, Snelle and Golding began selling work at art shows and fairs around London. Their work was auctioned at Bonhams and Christie’s alongside artists like Damien Hirst and Banksy. As their prominence grew, the alter-egos that were supposed to be a fun ruse grew more inconvenient. The pair decided to come clean in an exclusive interview with The Telegraph in 2014.

Though their admission caused a minor uproar in the art world, it allowed The Connor Brothers greater freedom of expression. In 2015, they produced a performance at Banksy’s Dismaland “bemusement park” to comment on the refugee crisis. The pair have also partnered with British rapper Professor Green and the mental health charity CALM to draw attention to men’s mental health issues in the United Kingdom. In 2019, they raised £100,000 for CALM with the auction of 12 unique donated prints.

The Connors Brothers have exhibited throughout London, as well as in Berlin, Los Angeles, New York and Sydney. Their work is in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

On 1stDibs, find The Connor Brothers’ paintings, prints, mixed media and more.