Sol Golden Sato was born in Malawi under a peaceful yet authoritarian regime, an environment that sparked his lifelong interest in how societies and power structures shape individual experience. Growing up in southern Africa during the 1980s and 90s, he witnessed seismic political changes and mass migrations. At 16, following his father’s death, Sol fled to South Africa and lived as a homeless teenager in Soweto during the final days of apartheid. At 20, he arrived in Brixton, London, where he washed cars and worked low-skilled jobs before drifting into dead-end advertising sales.

Sol’s formal education ended at 15 when he left Matandani Secondary School in Malawi. His intellectual journey since has been self-directed, rooted in voracious reading and online learning, with a focus on literature, classical thought, and computer science. Today, Sol lives and works in London as a socially engaged artist whose practice spans painting, installation, and participatory projects.

His work has been exhibited at Somerset House (2024), across Scotland (2023), and internationally in Greece (2021). He has reached national audiences through appearances on BBC One’s Sunday Morning Live, ITV News London, and ITV News Scotland, and his Hawick Happy Feet project was featured in The Telegraph. Sol continues to collaborate with the BBC on a national art initiative for Children in Need. His projects amplify his belief that creativity is not a luxury—it is a lifeline.Artist Statement

Sol Sato’s practice is rooted in people—their stories, struggles, and resilience. His work spans large-scale paintings, installations, and participatory projects that transform art into shared civic rituals.

@solgoldensato @hypeavoices @cristallina_fischetti

www.hype-a.com

Image courtesy of Sol Golden Sato