Over the last decade, Sola has worked for Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as assignment photographer covering various projects, especially for first response missions in African countries. It is for this reason that Sola partnered with MSF, a charity that provides humanitarian medical care across conflict zones and in regions affected by endemic diseases.
With work spanning across journalism, multimedia making, writing, and digital art, Sola studied Contemporary Literature at Perugia University in Italy and took the photojournalism master course at ISFCI in Rome. His work is focused on social, anthropologic and geopolitical subjects with particular reference to Africa, Middle East, and Europe.
Sola, who is strongly fascinated by humans, languages and communication, and chooses documentary photography for personal attitudes and draws inspiration from a lot of authors who have worked on various social issue before him.
Since 2015, Sola has been working on a personal project called Stimela, which is about internal migration on the Africa continent, so it was only fitting for him to be part of the 'People on the Move' exhibition, which shares a glimpse into the emotional and psychological experiences of displaced people as they undertake often dangerous journeys in the hope of providing a better life for them and their families.
"Photography has evolved a lot during the last decades. From a coral approach to the topic (you can see the tragically stunning work by Sebastião Salgado) to a more intimate approach where we can sometimes speak about a single person photo narrative", says Sola.
Sola is inspired by many different things and says, "We should learn to see again because to look is not enough."
"Sometimes, when people see my work, their first instinct is to define me a conflict photographer. This definition is correct only if the word “conflict” is used in its most largest breadth/meaning. Not all wars are conflicts. Strikes, famine, racism, revolutions, epidemics, etc. are conflicts. I chosen these subjects because the human being, in front of pain and fear loses superfluity so you can see the authentic part," adds Sola.
Advice for up-and-coming documentary photographers, Sola says "Build a strong personal culture. Read books. Listen to lots of music. Watch a lot of movies. Go to the opera. Visit a lot of museums and exhibitions. Then you’ll have a chance to build your personal language. This is the difference between a photographer and an author".
Sola's works have appeared in international newspapers and magazines, including Time Magazine, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Economist, Vanity Fair and many more.
He is represented by All Around Art Gallery and the agency Contrasto.
The art exhibition hosted will also showcase works by Ben Mphande, Bekezela Mabena and Mario and Gildo Soares all offering a nuanced exploration of the global phenomenon of migration and themes of belonging.
On the evening of 16 March, exhibited artworks will be available for purchase via silent auction with the majority of the proceeds going toward MSF’s medical humanitarian work in the region and across the world.
