PERSONAE - The Debut Exhibition by Dan & Serg
PERSONAE was the debut collaborative exhibition by artist and photographer duo Dan & Serg, held at Atelier Beside the Sea in Brighton in September 2026.
Bringing together figurative painting, drawing and photography, the exhibition grew from a fascination they have always shared: people.
Across the collection, Dan & Serg explored identity, self-expression and the different versions of ourselves we present to the world - from intimate portraiture and encounters on the streets of Brighton to characters observed, imagined and transformed through art.
The title PERSONAE comes from the Latin plural of persona - a mask, character or role. This idea ran throughout the exhibition, with Serg’s photography capturing people in a moment and Dan’s paintings and drawings offering the possibility of interpretation and transformation. At times the two practices crossed over completely, with Serg’s photographs becoming the starting point for Dan’s paintings.
The exhibition received a fantastic response and was warmly embraced by the Brighton community, marking the beginning of Dan & Serg’s collaborative practice.
You can now browse a selection of works from the exhibition online.
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Two Artists. Two Perspectives.
Serg's photography is rooted in observation. From intimate portraiture to people encountered on the street, his images capture character, gesture and fleeting moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed.
Dan's figurative paintings and drawings move between observation and imagination. People encountered in life – and sometimes first captured through Serg's lens – become the starting point for works transformed through colour, atmosphere and his own visual language.
Together, the works invite us to look beyond appearance, exploring the many identities we present to the world and the stories that sound through them.
Featuring Rob Makin
A portrait session with Rob Makin, winner of Channel 4’s Handcuffed, became a collaboration between Dan & Serg and the starting point for a new collection of works.
Serg photographed Rob in a series of intimate black-and-white portraits. The session then crossed into Dan’s practice, inspiring one of his largest original paintings alongside further works exploring Rob’s distinctive character and image.
The resulting paintings and photographic editions demonstrate how a single portrait session can evolve across both artists’ practices - one subject, interpreted through two different perspectives.