Last updated: 28 October 2026
George Underwood is the Bromley-born artist and illustrator best known for his work on David Bowie’s Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust covers. Here you will find our take on his paintings, where to see George Underwood now, his signed prints and book, and his War Child auction piece.
Our take on George Underwood
Underwood met David Bowie at Bromley Technical School and stayed a lifelong friend. The music side came first: he made a record with Bowie in The King Bees and one of his own as Calvin James. Illustration took over after that. On Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust, he hand-tinted Brian Ward’s black-and-white photographs with an airbrush and coloured inks, as he explained to Man About Town.
The oils are the main event now. He has painted since the early 1970s, influenced first by the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. “What I’m trying to do with my art is make people think,” he told Creative Boom. “There’s something else there.”
His War Child panel, Hope You’re Having Fun, is a head tipped back with eyes closed, set against a red halo on a deep teal ground. It sits somewhere between a saint and a pop star, which suits the man who coloured in Ziggy.
George Underwood: the essentials
- Born in Bromley, Kent, in 1947, according to the Canterbury Fine Art catalogue.
- Joined Beckenham Art School in 1963.
- Worked as an illustrator on fantasy, horror and science-fiction book covers before going freelance. His artwork for the first Tyrannosaurus Rex album and his work on Bowie’s covers made his name, according to his own site.
- Took part in the first War Child Sound & Vision in 2024, which took a Bowie lyric as its theme.
- Represented by Canterbury Fine Art and the Catto Gallery, Hampstead.
Where to see George Underwood now
- Now, until 31 October: Beyond the Vision, a solo show at Canterbury Fine Art, 19 Sun Street, Canterbury, 3 to 31 October 2026.
- Coming up: Sound & Vision 2026, a War Child charity auction online from 27 October to 12 November 2026, with the works on view at Iconic Images Gallery, London, 6 to 8 November. The piece is Hope You’re Having Fun (2026), oil on wood panel, 15 x 21 cm (5.9 x 8.3 in), lot page.
- Solo show, Catto Gallery, London, 21 March to 8 April 2024.
- Sound & Vision 2024 for War Child, 180 Strand, London, 26 to 27 September 2024.
- Solo show, Catto Gallery, London, 14 November to 2 December 2019.
How to buy a George Underwood print, painting or book
Every painting on his site is available as a signed print, mostly £400 to £850. Some examples:
- Hunky Dory ’75: signed archival pigment print, 18 x 22 in (45.7 x 55.9 cm), £500 plus £5.99 UK postage from his shop.
- Stardust Memories: signed print, 12 x 17.25 in (30.5 x 43.8 cm), £400 plus postage from his shop.
- Ziggy Live In LA: signed print, 18 x 36 in (45.7 x 91.4 cm), £650 plus postage from his shop.
- Original oils: the Beyond the Vision catalogue runs from £2,600 for The Illusion, 16 x 18 in (40.6 x 45.7 cm), to £7,000 for Saga, 43 x 34 in (109.2 x 86.4 cm), at Canterbury Fine Art.
- Book: Soulful Warriors (2017), 110 pages, £25 plus £4.99 UK delivery from his site.
- Hope You’re Having Fun, 2026: a small oil on wood panel in the War Child Sound & Vision auction, bidding from £100 until 12 November 2026 (bid here).
George Underwood FAQs
Did George Underwood design David Bowie’s album covers?
He worked on the Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust covers, hand-tinting Brian Ward’s black-and-white photographs. The photographs themselves are Ward’s.
Which galleries sell George Underwood paintings?
Canterbury Fine Art in Canterbury and the Catto Gallery in Hampstead, London.
How much is a George Underwood print?
Most signed prints cost £400 to £850 from his own shop, plus postage.
Where can I see George Underwood’s work now?
Beyond the Vision runs at Canterbury Fine Art until 31 October 2026, and his War Child piece is on view in London from 6 to 8 November.
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Main image: George Underwood. Photo courtesy of the artist, from georgeunderwood.com. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates, prices, auction results and market figures last checked: 28 October 2026.
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