Sol Sato
Biography / Artist statement
Sol, or Solomon Sato, is a London-based artist. His practice pushes the boundaries of painting, sculpture and film by introducing a sensory ethnographic philosophical layer. His work is based on connections between places, objects, peoples, rituals and beliefs.
Sol Sato was born in Malawi in southern Africa in 1974. Having grown up both in a peaceful country and under a strict dictatorship, his interest in how society and power structures organise themselves is a constant source of fascination. Throughout his life, Sol has always been fascinated by images, rituals, systems and how the world is represented through the eyes of others.
Sol scrutinises the real and imaginary effects of historical and psychological representation. Universal in outlook, he looks at the role ‘social memory’ plays in contemporary life.
Naturally, Sol was drawn to a practice that encompasses painting, sculpture and film. The interest was cultivated during his unusual upbringing during the end years of Apartheid, civil wars and huge democratic changes in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. A much longer half of his life has been spent in England, where he has continued his education in western art.
Recently Sol has engaged in a project connecting the Kings Road in Chelsea London to its artistic and vibrant past. A celebration in colour, fabric and sound, the project was designed to comprise of a large-scale mural, a programme of events, audio-scapes and community participation. The mural portion of the project was completed, but the events and community engagement phase is on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.