Artist: Cato

Saatchi Yates presents a solo exhibition by the emerging multidisciplinary artist Toby Grant, also known as Cato (b.2000, Brighton). This exhibition presents a body of work that focuses on the Black community within his South London orbit, capturing domestic and communal life in barbershops, diners, and home interiors. The subject matter features figures in everyday settings; playing instruments, making art and sharing food, inviting viewers into intimate spaces where history, culture, and memory come together.

Cato invites people from his community into his studio to sit for him and to be photographed. He uses streetcasters in Peckham to scout people to photograph which serve as the foundation of his paintings. He cuts, collages, and layers the images, reminiscent of Henri Matisse’s cut-out techniques, creating a dynamic feel to the works while also capturing the expressions, gestures and sense of community, resulting in something truly unique. His compositions exaggerate hands and heads, emphasizing gesture and expression, while his distinctive use of vibrant colour animates each scene. For this body of work, Cato has painted iconic London figures Jadasea and Jenn Nkiru.

“I paint what I want to see. I make these worlds for myself to live in. I’m trying to talk to my heroes... I want to be someone who kids like me can look up to. I hope some kid looks at my work and can’t sleep because he’s dreaming.” - Cato.

In this series, Cato has added greater narrative detail to his characters. One painting depicts an artist in his studio, surrounded by paint, brushes, and canvases, with works pinned to the walls that reference Cubism. A camera and a Picasso book rest on a table, while the back of one canvas bears the signature ‘Cato ’25’. The scene also includes an elder figure seated in a chair, with a female figure beside him, perhaps a vision of the future he envisions, both personally and creatively.

Another work shows three stylish Black women in a hair salon, their poses echoing a Ronettes poster on the wall. Through these vignettes, he blends real-life observation with imaginative storytelling, creating rich, intimate portraits of Black life. His subjects are treated with a Warholian attention, giving them a light and visibility rarely portrayed in contemporary painting. Cato’s practice pieces together imagined family histories, blending studio portraits with found family photographs of distant relatives, creating connections across time and diaspora.

Beyond painting, Cato is a musician and a member of the band ‘Parade’, who will perform at the Private View at Saatchi Yates on the 13th November, further bringing the communal energy of his practice into the exhibition.