Where art meets wilderness

As an artist, I’ve always searched for something deeper. I’ve searched for freedom, for space to breathe, for a way to live and create that feels honest — not just to myself, but to the world around me. For years, I poured that search into my paintings — expressive, bold, full of color and commentary. But something in me longed for more than a studio wall and gallery spotlight. I wanted to create in a place that could breathe with me. A place where art and earth meet. Where what I create doesn’t just exist in a frame — but becomes part of something bigger. That dream led me to a remote, beautiful piece of land in the rural heart of the Western Cape.

Why I chose this land

In 2025 there was nothing here except wilderness. When I first set foot on it, I knew this was where I wanted to build. Today it is slowly becoming an artist's sanctuary.

What is it about

An off-grid, sustainable art studio and future creative retreat nestled in my private mountain nature reserve in South Africa. It’s a space where:

• I partly live and paint in harmony with nature.

• Wild animals roam freely, without fences or fear.

• The land supports me — and I support it in return.

• Art becomes more than something to hang on a wall. It becomes a process of giving back.
  

How my art is part of it

Every painting I create now carries this story.
A portion of the proceeds from my paintings go directly into:

• Habitat restoration, rewilding and native planting

•  Protecting almost 2,000 hectares of private wilderness, home to antelope, caracal, wild hares, leopards and many other native species.

• Employment for local workers

   

• Building the future artist retreat and sanctuary for others seeking stillness, inspiration, and reconnection.

  The future

  

  Kossi Private Nature Reserve is a living, evolving project that will grow alongside me—and, perhaps, alongside you too.

  I imagine artists, writers, photographers and collectors spending a week here. No emails. No traffic. Just mountains, wildlife and creativity.

  
  

   

Until then, you can become part of the story through the art

Every collector becomes part of this story.
A sustainable future where art and nature thrive together.

Thank you for supporting this journey.
Let’s make art that not only looks good — but does good.

— Kristin Kossi