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. Surrounded by mountains, silence, and wildness, this land had been healing for over 20 years — a quiet act of rehabilitation, slowly bringing back its native plants and animals after years of farming impact. When I first set foot on it, something clicked. I knew this was where I wanted to build. Not just a studio — but a sanctuary.

What is it about

The project is my vision of an off-grid, sustainable art studio and future creative retreat nestled in South African mountains. 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 a product. It becomes a process of giving back.

Currently in development: art studio in the mountains of Uniondale Rural/ South Africa

Why I created it

I wanted to create an alternative living to urban life, to step away from noise and distractions — and build something quietly radical. To surround myself with plants and animals and the silence of nature. To feel the sun as power, the earth as a collaborator, the land as an inspiration. I believe in beauty, in creativity, in luxury — but also in responsibility. I believe we can make sustainable living irresistible, not restrictive. That we can still enjoy life deeply, while caring for it fiercely.

How my art is part of it

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

• Rewilding and native planting

• Wildlife protection (the land is home to antelope, caracal, wild hares, leopards and more)

• Local community support and hands-on building work

• Creating a future artist residency and sanctuary for others seeking stillness, inspiration, and reconnection

This is a long-term vision.
A living, breathing project that will grow alongside me — and maybe with you, too.

The future

One day, I hope to welcome art enthusiasts and other creatives here — to stay, to create, to reconnect. To return to something we’ve forgotten.

Until then,

You can be part of it through the art

Every piece you collect helps build this dream.
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