Over the last decade the duo known as ‘The Connor Brothers’ have stormed the art world with their signature satirical paintings. Their influential work has piqued the interest of many collectors around the world, but their glamorous and film-noir-esq paintings are particularly favoured with celebrities and they have become a must-have addition to the homes of the rich and famous.
Who are The Connor Brothers?
But who actually are The Connor Brothers? Real names James Golding and Mike Snelle, the duo have admitted to creating many different back-stories and characters over the years, so it is hard to know what the true story is.
So what should you know? Well, the brothers aren’t actually brothers but are former art dealers, and attracted attention by originally acting as twins who were brought up in a Christian cult, deprived of information about the real world. They shocked everyone in 2014 when they did an exclusive interview with The Telegraph and revealed this was all completely made up.
Their Charitable Work
A major reason as to why the Connor Brothers wanted to create an anonymous character for themselves was due to the fact they were suffering from mental health issues and addiction, so chose to protect themselves from the public limelight. As this was a huge part of their story they have always supported charities throughout their career.
In the pandemic of 2020, they released a limited edition print called Extraordinary People where all profits were donated to the NHS Covid- 19 Urgent Appeal which supported NHS staff and volunteers caring for COVID-19 patients.
In 2021, they collaborated with Noel Gallagher for Teenage Cancer Trust on a limited edition of 100 prints titled ‘These are the Crazy Days’ from their song ’All Around the World’.
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind”
The tragic loss of TV presenter Caroline Flack shocked so many of us in 2020, including Mike Snelle who spoke about Caroline and the brutality she faced by the UK press and media. In an interview with The Book of Man he openly speaks about the time when she came to their studio to be photographed for a portrait she had commissioned before her death and how her death felt ‘entirely avoidable’ and that she was ‘beautiful, successful, kind’.
They posted a tribute to Caroline which included words from one of her last Instagram posts ‘In a world where you can be anything, be kind.’, two years later, they released this as a print to raise money for Calm Zone, the UK's leading suicide prevention charity, and Choose Love - a charity Caroline supported.
Who collects The Connor Brothers?
Not only do they collaborate with celebrities but they are highly collectable with the rich and famous including Idris Elba, Professor Green, Amanda Holden, Denise Van Outen and Loyle Carner. Arguably the UK’s biggest influencer Molly Mae has also added them to her multi-million pound Manchester home. They have featured many celebrities in their art including body positivity activist and TV star Ashley James and British rapper, Slow Thai.
Credit: @mollymaison
Are The Connor Brothers a good art investment?
Of course these celebrities are not only collecting The Connor Brothers as they make beautiful additions to their interiors, The Connor Brothers are a timeless investment and are highly in demand works, as a result most of their collections are completely sold out. The value lies in these sold out pieces as they are limited and rare to find, it is strongly recommended to purchase these secondary market pieces from galleries so that they can provide the authenticity certificates - with our expertise we can guide you on what the best art investment pieces out there are.
We are delighted to have a stunning collection of The Connor Brothers pieces available to purchase and view up close and personal in the gallery. Visit us Tuesday to Saturday from 10am until 5pm.
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