Sol Fernandez is a multidisciplinary storyteller, maker and mother from South East Naarm. Her work explores the liminal spaces within her cultures, and the fluidity and layers within interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. She resonates with young people who are making their own way in the world with a lot of heart, building things from the ground up.
Sol is the Artistic Director of Way Over There Collective, a collective of local artists & community members from South East Naarm prioritising Black, Brown and Indigenous folk.
Sol and Maru Elias Nitor-Zammataro create through their studio, MELI, based in Sunshine; a space where Sol and Maru practice and document storytelling and connection in all its forms.
Exhibitions/ Projects —
2024
(February 2024) Blood Majik (Jamahl Yami, Kawel Che) Official Single Cover @ MELI STUDIOS
(March 2024) Blood Majik (Jamahl Yami, Kawel Che) Official Music Video @ MELI STUDIOS (produced, directed, edited alongsde Maru Elias Nitor-Zammataro)
(May 2024) TERTULIAS Episode 1, Part 1 — MELI x TWEETY’S APPAREL Ft. Kawel Che, Jamahl Yami @ MELI STUDIOS (produced, directed, edited alongside Maru Elias Nitor-Zammataro)
(April 2024) Live Painting @ ZOR by Kerfew, Miscellania
(May 2024) Street Social — South Asian Edition by Kerfew x Free to Feed @ Free To Feed
(May 2024) Live Painting @ Proto Moro Single Launch, Highnote
(June 2024) MELI Market @ MELI Backyard, Footscray
(July 2024) Solo show @ Good Measure, Lygon Street
(August 2024) 1 Year Anniversary Exhibition @ Visual Diary
(September 2024) School Holiday Mini Book-making Workshop for bubs and carers @ Community Studio, Footscray
(September 2024) Workshop @ ConSent Zine Launch — Women’s Health in the North, SchoolHouse Studios
(October 2024) Solo show @ Seventh Gallery Research Library
2023
(January 2023) Summer Exhibition @ Mossman Picture Framing & Gallery
(February 2023) WOT x You Heard @ Baby Snakes Exhibition
(February 2022) WOT x You Heard @ Baby Snakes (Artist Market Ft. Fathiah Raihan, Jocelyn Montecinos, CP/ El Bollos, Jess Nikitina Li, Ida/I’d Wear That, Sophie/ Tooth Fairy, Aysha Paints & All Star Jam Ft. Kuku & Kuyu, Ryotaro Noshiro, Jamahl Yami, Setwun, Waari, Izy & Kgomotso
(June 2022) Way Over There Collective x Connection Arts Space Artist in Residence Program @ Hayshed Studio, Old Cheese Factory
(September 2023) I Am All Of Us Docuseries & Publication @ Bunjil Place (New Ground Commission, funded by the Sidney Myer fund)
(September 2023) I Am All Of Us, photo series @ Bunjil Place (New Ground Commission, funded by the Sidney Myer fund)
(October 2023) Gertrude Street Projection Festival — Festival Design/ Branding
2022
(January 2022) I Miss You Already @ Gallery 17 in collaboration with Blu Fernandez
(March 1 — 31, 2022) Eat a Peach @ Hayshed Studio, Old Cheese Factory in collaboration with Blu Fernandez & Jess Nikitina Li
(March 7 — 13, 2022) Eat a Peach @ Hayshed Studio, Old Cheese Factory in collaboration with Blu Fernandez & Jess Nikitina Li
(April, 2022) Enshrined @ Gallery 17
(May 2022) Shapes of Us @ Vitrines Gallery, in collaboration with Blu Fernandez
(May 2022) In Loving Memory of Now @ Rooftop Screen (screen activation)
(June, 2022) ROYGBIV @ Seventh Gallery, in collaboration with Richmond Girls Club
(July 2022) Project Managing and curating Way Over There Collective x Connection Arts Space Artist in Residence Program @ Hayshed Studio, Old Cheese Factory
(July 2022) Twenty-Two, Plus Seven, Plus Blu, For The Last Fifty Two, And Remnants Of You, performance Emerging Writers’ Festival, Brunswick Mechanics Institute, June 20 — 7pm
(September 2022) Red, Green And All Things In Between @ screening at Bunjil Place (Sangam Commission)
(October 2022) Gertrude Street Projection Festival — Festival Design/ Branding
(Dec 2022) Summer Exhibition @ Mossman Picture Framing & Gallery
2021
(February 2021) drowning curse @ TCB gallery
(April 2021) Panel Discussion: Are Collectives the New Podcast? The Pursuit of Conversation, alongside WOT Collective and associated friends @ Gallery 17
(May 2021) MYRIAD @ Hayshed Gallery, Old Cheese Factory
(July 17 - August 28) Looking Left and Right @ Seventh Gallery, Richmond. In collaboration with Blu Fernandez Lennon
(June 2021) Curation of Izaak Lubin solo show as part of Way Over There Collective x Connection Arts Space Artist in Residence Program @ Hayshed Gallery, Old Cheese Factory
(June 2021) Curation of Vi Massa solo show as part of Way Over There Collective x Connection Arts Space Artist in Residence Program @ Lower Gallery, Old Cheese Factory
(November 2021) Series of Writing and Painting workshops with Dandenong Library Services designed and facilitated by Sol @ online via ZOOM in collaboration with Dandenong Library Services
(December 2021) Curation of Nimisha Nimkar solo show as part of Way Over There Collective x Connection Arts Space Artist in Residence Program @ Connection Arts Space
(December 2021) Curation of Jessica Tanto solo show as part of Way Over There Collective x Connection Arts Space Artist in Residence Program @ Connection Arts Space
(December 2021) WOT AIR Group Show @ Hayshed Gallery, Old Cheese Factory
(Summer 2021/22) Residency @ Gallery 17
(December 2021) Please Stop Crying @ CLAW Gallery in collaboration with Blu Fernandez, Izaak Lubin & Brent Ruby
(Summer 2021) Rapscript Series as part of I Miss You Already @ Gallery 17 in collaboration with Blu Fernandez
(Entirety of 2021) Project Managing and curating Way Over There Collective x Connection Arts Space Artist in Residence Program @ Lower Gallery & Hayshed Studio @ Old Cheese Factory, Multipurpose Room @ Wilson Botanic Gardens and Remote Residency @ Indonesia
2020
(February 2020) Niche Fetish 001 @ 12 Argyle Pl Carlton Nth
(February 2020) Rapscript Series @ Safe Spaces 005, online
(June 2020) SouthSide Zine as part of Emerging Writers’ Festival (online)
(June 2020) Sentiments of Suburbia @ online exhibition
(December 2020) Rapscript Series @ Drum Theatre, Dandenong. In collaboration with Vi Massa
2019
(August 2019) Life in Limbo @ Bunjil Place Art Space
2018
(June 2018) FIX 001 @ VCA Art Space
(June 2018) FIX 001 @ VCA Art Space. In collaboration with Anabel Robinson and Abella d’Adamo
(October 2018) Life Lessons @ Bunjil Place Studio
2017
(February 2017) Exhibition Eighteen @ Old Cheese Factory
(March 2017) Self-Made: artist books and zines @ Bunjil Place Gallery
(April 2017) Top Arts 2017 @ NGV Australia, Federation Square
(June 2017) Painting Vernacular @ VCA
(August 2017) They Don’t Know Who’s Inside the Suit @ Narre Warren Youth Centre
(August 2017) SouthSide Collective Launch @ Narre Warren Youth Centre
(September 2017) Painting as an Object @ VCA
(November 2017) Farewell Civic Centre @ Civic Centre, Narre Warren
2016
(November 2016, ongoing) SouthSide Zine, an archive based documentation project of the lives of South East/ Naarm based young people
Education —
2017 (ongoing)
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual Art, Painting @ Victorian College of the Arts
Associated Involvement —
2017— 2022
Visitors Services Officer, Gallery Invigilator @ Bunjil Place Gallery
2017— 2022
Co-facilitator and programmer of Arts Agitators Collective @ Bunjil Place
2019 — 2022
Arts in Community Officer @ City of Casey/ Bunjil Place
2020 (ongoing)
Artistic Director of Way Over There Collective (WOT) a South-East BIPOC based Arts Organisation, @wayovertherecollective, www.wayovertherecollective.online
2022
Story Consultant — TV series in development with SBS and Magpie Pictures
2024
Project Coordinator @ Seventh Gallery, Richmond