ABOUT
Rentia Retief (b.1992, Caledon, South Africa) received a Bachelors in Fine Arts from the University of Stellenbosch in 2014, and an Honours in Illustration in 2016. She received the George Paul Canitz Fine Art prize in 2014. Rentia held her first solo exhibition at Muratie Wine Estate titled “Sondebok” after residing on the estate as the artist in residence in 2016. She often partakes in group exhibitions at various galleries.
In 2019 she presented a solo show at Ebony/Curated in Cape Town 2019 titled “Die berg is geduldig” and she joined in a two man show in 2021 also at Ebony/Curated titled “The Long View”. Her latest solo exhibition was in 2022 at Kanonkop Wine Estate, titled “Reflection”.
She is based in Cape Town where she spends a lot of time in the surrounding nature and mountains which serves as a great influence on her work. The work of Rentia captures her awareness of being one with the natural surrounds. Her longing for solitude and the untouched outdoors are major themes in her work. She explores the everyday interaction we all share with the environment and draws on the constant reminder that we are only brief insignificant visitors in this world. Many of her works on paper are made en-plain-air where the natural elements contribute to the mark making process of often large scale drawings.
CV
Solo Exhibitions
2022 'Reflection', Kanonkop Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa
'Terugkeer', MOK Gallery, Muratie Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2019 ‘Die Berg is Geduldig (The Mountain is Patient)’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa
2017 ‘Scenes of Remembering’, Mullers Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2016 ‘Sondebok’, MOK Gallery, Muratie Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Group Exhibitions
2023 Cape Town Art Fair, Ebony/Curated, Cape Town, South Africa
2022 'Summer trio', 131A Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
'Palimpsest', AVA Gallery - The Rememberance Gallery, Leeuwenhof, Cape Town, South Africa
2021 ‘The Long View’, solo presentation alongside Larita Engelbrecht, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa
‘Creative Blocks’ - Spier Arts Foundation
'Light', Glen Carlou, Stellenbosch, South Africa
'Bud', RK Contemporary, Riebeek Kasteel, South Africa
'Genius Loci', State of the art, Cape Town, South Africa
2020 'Home is where the art is | Zeitz Mocaa Museum | Cape Town
‘Country’, MOK Gallery, Muratie Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa
‘Creative Blocks’ - Spier Arts Foundation
2019 ‘Land and Sea’, Art on Avenues, Somerset West, South Africa
‘Art and Equine’, Imibala Gallery, Somerset West, South Africa
‘Creative Blocks’ - Spier Arts Foundation
2018 Knysna Fine Arts, Knysna, South Africa
‘Wild’, Imibala Gallery, Somerset West, South Africa
Rossouw Modern, Hermanus, South Africa
2017 ‘Plant’, Kirtstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa
‘Landscape’, with Johan Coetzee, MOK Gallery, Muratie Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2016 ‘August Exhibition’, EBONY/CURATED, Franschhoek, South Africa
‘Summer Show’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa
2015 ‘Emerge’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa
‘Landscape’, EBONY/CURATED, Franschhoek, South Africa
‘Tasseography’, Equus Gallery, Stellenbsoch, South Africa
‘Composition Emporium’, Collaborative Performance, Rupert Museum, Stellenbosch, South Africa
‘30’ x 40’’, ArtB Gallery, Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa
2014 ‘Gradex’, Stellenbosch Visual Arts Department, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grants & Awards
2018 Kleinood Artist Residency
2016 Muratie Artist Residency
2014 George Paul Canitz Fine Art Prize
2013 University of Stellenbosch Student Public Art Award
Education
2015 – 2016 Honours in Illustration | University of Stellenbosch
2015 Bauhaus University of Weimar - Short Course in Graphic Design
2011 - 2014 BA Fine Arts | University of Stellenbosch