Born in Italy in 1983 to a traveling theatre company, Giovanni Castro Hayter’s early life was steeped in art and freedom. The son of a Portuguese mother and English father, he spent his formative years touring the world with the Footsbarn traveling theatre, an experience that shaped his creative spirit.
Hayter eventually settled in Portugal, where he studied art in high school. At 15, he discovered graffiti, igniting a passion for street art and hip-hop culture. Under the tag “Sayk,” he became a prominent figure in the Portuguese underground street art movement of the early 2000s, his crew making its mark on trains and metros across Portugal and Europe.
At 19, Hayter moved to England to study fine art painting at the University of Brighton. There, he transitioned to canvas, developing a style influenced by his graffiti roots but expressed through large abstract paintings and action painting. Despite mixed reactions from his tutors, he persevered, culminating in a successful degree show where he sold all three of his exhibited works.
The years following university saw Hayter exhibiting and selling his art in Brighton and London until the recession of 2008. He then shifted gears, marrying, moving to California, and starting a family. For 15 years, art took a backseat as he pursued a career in construction.
Following a separation, Hayter returned to Europe and faced a dark period, battling depression and alcoholism. A turning point came with rehab in Portugal, leading to sobriety and a rediscovery of his artistic identity. “I AM AN ARTIST,” he realized, and has been painting non-stop ever since.
Now sober and revitalized, Hayter’s art has matured, blending his graffiti past with his fine art training. He’s embraced his “old school” status in the graffiti world while forging a new path with his canvases.
This spring marks a significant comeback for Hayter with his first solo exhibition, held throughout May at the Station Gallery in Frome, Somerset, UK, with a private view on May 1st. The show will feature 20 large abstract paintings, graffiti portraits, and street art inspired by themes of recovery and positivity. Hayter also plans to paint a mural outside the gallery, aiming to inspire others struggling with similar challenges.