The Kinks founders Ray Davies and Dave Davies will reunite for a new art exhibition, Brothers, at Gibson Garage London, revisiting a 1968 photograph of the brothers through a series of paintings created with artist Christian Furr.
by Paul Cashmere
More than six decades after forming The Kinks, brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies are collaborating on a new art exhibition, The Kinks: Brothers, which will run at Gibson Garage London from 24 July to 6 September 2026. The exhibition centres on a 1968 passport photobooth photograph taken in East Finchley, North London, which has been reimagined as a series of original paintings by British artist Christian Furr.
The exhibition marks another creative chapter for the Davies brothers, whose partnership helped shape British rock music through songs including You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset, Sunny Afternoon and Lola. While their musical relationship has often been characterised by periods of collaboration and tension, Brothers presents a new project that reconnects the siblings through visual art.
Art has long been part of the brothers’ creative lives. Before The Kinks became one of Britain’s defining rock groups, Ray Davies studied painting at Hornsey College of Art. Dave Davies has also painted for many years, pursuing visual art alongside his musical career.
The exhibition began with Furr’s reinterpretation of the brothers’ passport photograph. According to organisers, Dave Davies was emotional when he first saw the completed works and subsequently began painting on the canvases himself.
“It was a magic moment when we crammed into the photobooth all those years ago,” Dave Davies said. “Christian Furr has done a wonderful job in developing the image into special artworks. We hope people love these as much as we do.”
Ray Davies said revisiting the image had rekindled memories from the band’s early
years.
“Over the years it’s been amazing to see creative people take our music and make something of their own,” he said. “Christian Furr has done just that. It’s great to be doing something new with Dave, and seeing these paintings and the original passport photobooth picture again brings back a lot of memories.”
Furr said his artistic approach drew on several influences while seeking to reflect the energy of The Kinks’ music.
“I was thinking about Matisse, punk, pop art, luminosity, and keeping that colour as bright as possible, because that to me is what I see when I listen to The Kinks,” he said.
Furr first gained international recognition as the youngest artist commissioned to paint Queen Elizabeth II. His work has since been exhibited at institutions including the National Portrait Gallery and Saatchi Gallery.
The Brothers exhibition also highlights the continuing cultural influence of The Kinks. Formed in North London in the early 1960s, the band emerged from a household in Muswell Hill where music and family gatherings were central to everyday life. The front room of the Davies family home became the birthplace of You Really Got Me, the groundbreaking 1964 hit that propelled The Kinks to international success.
The group went on to achieve seventeen UK Top 20 singles and became one of the most influential British bands of their era. Their music resonated across multiple generations and genres, influencing artists including Blondie, The Jam, The Ramones, The Clash, Black Sabbath, The Doors, The Pretenders and Van Halen.
The Who’s Pete Townshend once said that “The Kinks invented a new kind of language for pop songwriting that influenced me from the very beginning”. Ray Davies’ songwriting later became particularly influential on Britpop acts such as Blur and Oasis, earning him the nickname “The Godfather of Britpop”. The Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Every painting in Brothers will be signed by Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Christian Furr. Limited edition prints and original artworks will be available through RedHouse Originals, with prints starting at £195. To mark the exhibition, Gibson and RedHouse Originals will also place free limited edition prints at three secret London locations connected to the band’s history. A small number of signed prints will be available on a first come, first served basis at the exhibition opening on 24 July.
The exhibition is being staged at Gibson Garage London, the UK home of the legendary guitar manufacturer whose instruments played a significant role in defining The Kinks’ sound. The venue, which opened with appearances by Jimmy Page, Sir Brian May and Tony Iommi, has become a destination for musicians and fans through free live events and exhibitions that celebrate guitar culture and music history.
When:
24 July 2026, London, Gibson Garage London
25 July 2026 to 6 September 2026, London, Gibson Garage London
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