North Bound: From the Overberg to Tunisia, Rentia Retief's new solo exhibition at Sisonke Gallery charts a journey of belonging.

Sisonke Gallery at the Cape Heritage Hotel is pleased to present North Bound, a solo exhibition by Western Cape artist Rentia Retief. On view from 3 June to 31 July 2026, the exhibition marks another significant chapter in Retief’s evolving exploration of place, memory, and the emotional life of the natural world.

The exhibition was born from a transformative experience: an artist residency in Tunisia, on the northernmost tip of the African continent. For Retief, who grew up in the Overberg, not far from Africa’s southernmost point, this journey was deeply personal. North Bound brings together works made during that residency and in its aftermath, alongside paintings inspired by recent travels through the Northern Cape and Limpopo.

The title carries both literal and metaphorical weight. It references the ancient route of Africa’s earliest human migrations, the great northward trek from the southern tip of the continent, while also speaking to Retief’s own heritage as someone of Northern European descent living and belonging in southern Africa.

Visitors to North Bound are invited to follow Retief on this continent-spanning journey and, in doing so, discover their own. “I hope they can take away a sense of wonder and peace,” she says.