He paints, and when he creates collages he feels like a kid again. When he steps away from the brush, he dives into music or develops new animations. Whether he’s working in a recording or in an art studio, every creative practice Cato touches deeply shapes his artistic output, an imagination built on contrasts between vibrant, wallpaper-like backgrounds and black&white musical instruments. The geometric nature of his settings, sharp-edged and inventive drawing from cubism, as well as his artistic references, transport the viewer back to the last century, while the figures - photographs of musicians, directors, artists, faces seen on the streets of South London, and even the artist’s friends - bring to the forefront contemporary icons of London’s Black culture, like Jenn Nkiru and Jadea.

We meet Cato inside Saatchi Yates, the prestigious London gallery that, until January 11, will be exhibiting a selection of works by the British artist. In bright, immaculate rooms stand paintings with a strong chromatic impact, showing domestic scenes of Cato’s characters caught in intimate moments: at the barber’s, at home in front of the TV, during a card game, at the bar, or in the middle of a vibrant jam session. The history of the Black British community - complete with its memory and its contemporary evolutions - comes to life on the canvas through a playful use of proportions: musicians’ hands huge across piano keys, smiles and focused expressions that grab attention with their dramatic intensity. There’s no shortage of direct references to artists and literary works of the past, such as Picasso’s paintings or posters of The Ronettes and a Sugar Ray Robinson boxing match hanging on the walls.

There’s a hypnotic energy in Cato’s works, born as much from the imperfections of the cut-outs as from the communicative power of the subjects, so involved and active. Like a photograph that refuses to fade, Cato’s paintings capture distant memories revived with a vitality that inevitably invites us to empathize with the artist’s nostalgia. A memory that, between layers of glue, pulses with new life.

 

What was it like to collaborate with an established gallery like Saatchi Yates? 

It was a good vibe. They liked my works and told me the ones that excited them, which gave me a little bit of guidance. I just made as much as I could and when they came around they loved it, so it was simple.

The use of color in your work is really interesting, with some works produced in black&white and others developed in highly specific, nostalgic and vibrant palettes. How did this stylistic choice come about?

I started with black&white when I first started painting, I spend most of my time drawing with pencils. The colour palette came from a lot of American photography, but when I first started adding color to the work, I just called my mom up and asked her what colors she liked. She'd tell me how to make colours more subtle and told me about some of the theory behind it. But usually I just go with what’s fun to play with. I also have certain colour combinations that I love, so I try to keep it spontaneous.

You’re also a musician and a self-taught animator. Two roles that are very visible in your art. Can you tell us a few of your favorite musicians and animators? Why do you look up to them and does their work influence your artworks?

I've got so many, but the ones who really have influenced my work would be a lot of sample based hip hop artists like Madlib and MF doom. I grew up making that kind of music with my friends, and sampling is quite similar to the way I do collage, but recently I've been listening to a lot of Jimi Hendrix. The energy behind music gives me something to bounce off. 

As for animators, this style was borrowed in a big way from Terry Gilliam, who did the Monty Python animations. He used the airbrush and the collage techniques as well. So when I first started making these works, I was thinking about him, and I was thinking about René Laloux, who made Fantastic Planet. His use of scale was quite a big influence. 

Your paintings are realistic yet odd in a way. What attracted you to the collage technique and what do you think this style says about you as an artist? 

Well, I learned collage from my sister, but she does it quite differently. The blend between the real and the simple keeps it interesting for me. Contrast collage is the funniest way for me to make an image, because I'm just playing with the pieces like I'm playing with toys. And so I guess it says that about me: I like to have fun while I'm doing it, I'm still a kid when I'm making it. 

Were there any lessons that you had to learn the hard way in your career?

Yeah, I’ve had an interim where I didn't feel like I was a painter, but I've always been quite comfortable making art anyway. I’ve had quite a rocky school experience with art, I did a lot of commercial animation and stuff, but experimenting on my own was the thing that carried me through. I don't think of myself when I'm working, I just think of the ideas. 

You've now shown all around the world, both in collective and solo exhibitions and your works are being exhibited all over from London to Beijing. What was the project that excited you the most, and do you feel pressured to produce even when you're not particularly motivated to do so? 

I work a bit too fast and a bit too hectic, so I wouldn't give anyone advice. But this has been the most exciting project just because of the scale of it. And I still did it in a short time. I've also got a few music projects in the works at the same time, so I think having another passion to blow off some steam is really important.

What do you do to pace and ground yourself?

Surround myself with people that can give good ideas. My girlfriend gives me a lot of motivation and a lot of new ideas, and my friends who I play music with give me a lot of energy as well. But yeah, focusing on the things that are new and exciting gets me through new projects. If I'm stuck in the middle, in a rut, I'll try and make a sculpture, try to paint in a different technique, and get back to what I'm supposed to be doing.

What makes you excited for the future?

All the things I'm yet to get to make. All the things I'm yet to try, I'm on an adventure. I want to travel and live in different places. And I'm excited to make some films, which is something I'm going to do next year.

Photographer Matt Spratt