Riette is an artist based in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Born into a family of creatives, her free time and childhood holidays were often spent around a dining table filled with art materials, guided by her mother and two aunts who are practicing artists and art tutors, crafting ‘dummy books’ with her grandmother, a writer and illustrator or sewing with her other grandmother who designed and made wedding dresses. “It is the comfort of these activities, the familiar smells, and the joy they bring that has kept drawing me back to art throughout my life.”

In 2024, after completed her MA in Fine Art with distinction, her work took a new direction. Through the rich experience of her studies, her art practice gradually began to revolve around the ideas and concerns that she cares about most. These include the emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of her fellow humans and the reciprocal health of our environment.

The values driving her practice are deeply rooted in the interconnectedness of all life systems and the importance of Care towards self and others. Her work has an interest in cultural evolution and the effects of Postmodern society on our wellbeing and sense of connection to self, others, nature, meaningful work and spirituality.
 During her studies, a material investigation involving the use of only naturally foraged soils, rocks, and botanical elements to process earth and lake pigments as well as wild clay has resulted in an intimate knowledge of her materials.

This sensory rich experience with her material, has sparked an investigation into neuroscience findings in the fields of Sensory Integration Theory, Polyvagal Theory, Somatic therapies and MBSR. As a result, her art started to engage in discourse relating to mental- and ‘environ-mental’ health. Foundational to the work is an emphasis on process and the therapeutic value of sensorimotor methods of making.

The Latin words for ‘soil/earth/humus’ and ‘human’ share the same root, which also gives us the word ‘humble’. The Middle French word ‘humain’ comes from the Latin ‘humanus’. ‘Humanus’ is a blend of the Latin words ‘homo’ (man) and ‘humus’ (soil/earth/ground). Additionally, in the Hebrew Bible, the name ‘Adam’ is derived from the word ‘adamah’, meaning ‘soil’ or ‘earth’ in Hebrew, and when used as a noun, means ‘man’ or ‘humanity’. Revealing another beautiful and significant connection.

This dance between soil and soul creates a metaphor and ‘sympoiesis’ between research, place, Spirit and a sustainable practice in a quest to find safety, equanimity, and wellbeing in the inner landscape of the soul.