The Connor Brothers British

The Connor Brothers—Mike Snelle and James Golding—emerged onto the art scene in 2013 with an audacious and playful narrative that blurred the lines between truth and fabrication. Posing as fictional twin brothers Franklyn and Brendan Connor, they created a persona that allowed them to explore complex themes of identity, transformation, and reinvention while keeping their personal histories out of the spotlight. In 2014, they revealed their true identities in an interview with The Telegraph: the 'Connor Brothers' were, in fact, Snelle and Golding, former London art dealers. Following this revelation, their work began to sell at major auction houses, earning them a place among the most sought-after contemporary artists.

 

As former art dealers, Snelle and Golding drew from their experiences in the art world to create works that are as much about storytelling as they are about visual aesthetics. They are best known for their satirical reinterpretations of vintage book covers—especially those of Penguin Classics and 1950s pulp fiction. By reimagining these iconic designs with ironic, provocative new titles, the Connor Brothers challenge the viewer’s perceptions of culture, history, and personal identity. Their art serves as a clever commentary on contemporary society, addressing serious themes with humor and visual appeal, while maintaining a lighthearted yet critical edge. The duo’s work also extends beyond art into activism. In 2014, they created The Hanbury Collection, a fictional museum that expertly blended fact and fiction, making it nearly impossible to discern which exhibits were real and which were fabricated. This obsession with truth and fiction,  a hallmark of their practice, resonates particularly strongly in today’s age of fake news, post-truth, and the obsession with social media personas.

 

Today, The Connor Brothers's work also tackles pressing social issues, including the European refugee crisis, becoming a platform for engaging with the world around them. The duo spent several years working in The Jungle refugee camp in Calais, where they helped build shelters and led an international billboard campaign, Refuchic, to raise awareness about the plight of displaced people. Their activism also led to a collaboration with the Russian protest group Pussy Riot, and in 2015, they staged a refugee-themed theatrical performance at Banksy’s Dismaland. More recently, the Connor Brothers have partnered with rapper Professor Green and the mental health charity CALM to raise funds and awareness around the UK’s mental health crisis, focusing on the epidemic of male depression and suicide.

 

The Connor Brothers have exhibited internationally from New York, Sydney and Dubai to London, Hong Kong and Berlin. Their work frequently appears at major auction houses where a record price was achieved in 2020. Works can also be found in major public and private collections including The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Penguin Collection, and both the Omer Koc and Niarchos Collections.