More than six decades after launching one of Britain’s most influential rock bands, The Kinks’ founding brothers Ray and Dave Davies are collaborating on a new artistic venture that revisits one of the most personal moments in their shared history.
The siblings have teamed with acclaimed British portrait artist Christian Furr for The Kinks: Brothers, a new exhibition opening July 24 at Gibson Garage London. Running through September 6, the exhibition transforms a 1968 passport photobooth photograph of the brothers into a series of original paintings.
The exhibition marks a rare public collaboration between the Davies borthers outside of music. It draws inspiration from a candid photograph taken in East Finchley, North London, at the height of The Kinks’ success.
Dave Davies recalls that he became emotional when he first saw Furr’s completed paintings and was so inspired that he began painting directly onto the artworks himself.
“It was a magic moment when we crammed into the photobooth all those years ago,” Dave said in a statement. “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 reflected on the enduring influence of the band’s legacy while welcoming a new creative interpretation of their story.
“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.”
The project also reconnects the brothers with a passion that predates their musical careers. Before forming The Kinks in 1963, Ray studied painting at Hornsey College of Art, while Dave has continued painting throughout his life, making visual art an ongoing part of his creative practice.
For Furr, whose vibrant portraiture has earned international recognition, the challenge was to capture the spirit of one of Britain’s defining bands through color and composition.
“I was thinking about Matisse, punk, pop art, luminosity and keeping that color as bright as possible,” he said, “because that to me is what I see when I listen to The Kinks.”
Furr first gained international attention after becoming the youngest artist ever commissioned to paint Queen Elizabeth II. His work since has been exhibited at London’s National Portrait Gallery and Saatchi Gallery.
Ray and Dave Davies grew up in Muswell Hill, North London, where music-filled family gatherings became the foundation for what would become one of rock’s most celebrated bands. Their family home was where Ray wrote “You Really Got Me,” the groundbreaking 1964 hit that helped define the sound of British rock and launched The Kinks onto the international stage.
The band would go on to score 17 UK Top 20 singles, including classics such as “Waterloo Sunset,” “Sunny Afternoon,” “Dead End Street” and “Lola.” Their influence has extended across generations of musicians, with The Kinks widely regarded as one of the architects of modern rock music.
The Kinks: Brothers will be on view at Gibson Garage London from July 24-September 6.