Pierre Vermeulen

About
Pierre Vermeulen was born in 1992 in Stellenbosch, and currently lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa. He obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2015 and Masters in Visual Arts in 2021 from the University of Stellenbosch.
Pierre Vermeulen’s artistic practice explores the unconscious, myth, and ritual, drawing on ancient philosophical traditions and meditation to engage with spirituality and symbolism. His process involves repetitive rituals that merge meditation, performance, and alchemy, using materials like imitation gold leaf, human hair, sweat, and casts of ex-voto to create both aesthetic and conceptual imprints through oxidation. These works, often incorporating metals like gold leaf imitate and silver leaf imitate reflect the junction of the sacred and the profane, examining dualities such as light and dark, masculine and feminine, and the internal and external realms. Through his use of ritual and symbolism, Vermeulen invites reflection on the human need for meaning beyond orthodoxy, while reconciling opposing forces like chaos and order in search of balance.
In 2025, Vermeulen presented Bidden or Unbidden, Enter the Hot Dream (2025) at WITW x Krone gallery in Tulbagh, Cape Town, and participated in various presentations with WHATIFTHEWORLD gallery, Cape Town, South Africa; at Artissima, Art Cologne, Art Abu Dhabi, miart, and with Prometeo Gallery at miart, Milan. Vermeulen also took part in the group exhibition: Of their time (7), A Look at Private Collections (2023) at the museum Frac Grand Large in Dunkerque, France.
Selected solo exhibitions in Cape Town include Formats for Transition (2023) with Reservoir Projects, Thoughts Think Themselves (2021), a solo exhibition in culmination of his Master’s presentation, an Artist Room (2020), Of Itself (2018) in Johannesburg, and Pierre Vermeulen (2017). Selected group exhibitions in Cape Town include Matereality (2020) at Iziko South African National Gallery, A Show of Solidarity (2020) at SMAC Gallery, held in support of the South African Solidarity Fund during a nationwide enforced lockdown, Forward! Forward? Forward…(2019) at the Stellenbosch University Museum in Stellenbosch, Folly (2017) at SMITH, and Restore (2016) at the Gallery University Stellenbosch (GUS), Stellenbosch. In 2018, Vermeulen presented a solo booth at Artissima in Turin, Italy, and his works have since been included in various group presentations, including Contemporary Istanbul. Pierre Vermeulen’s work was recently selected for the prestigious Pinakothek der Moderne PIN. Benefit Auction.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2025 | Bidden or Unbidden, Enter The Hot Dream - WHATIFTHEWORLD x Krone, Twee Jonge Gezellen, Tulbagh |
2023 | Formats for Transition, Reservoir Projects, Cape Town |
2021 | Thoughts think themselves, Masters Exhibition, SMAC Stellenbosch |
2020 | Artist Room, SMAC Gallery, Cape Town |
2018 | Artissima (SMAC Gallery), Oval Lingoto Fiere, Turin, Italy |
Of Itself, SMAC Gallery, Johannesburg | |
2017 | Pierre Vermeulen, SMAC Gallery, Cape Town |
Sweat Prints, Association for Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery, Cape Town |
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 | Of their time (7), A look at private collections at Frac Grand Large, Dunkerque, France |
Oh So Quiet - WHATIFTHEWORLD, Cape Town | |
Of their time (7), A look at private collections. Frac Grand Large - Hauts-de-France, 503 av. des Bancs de Flandres, 59140 Dunkerque / France | |
miart (WHATIFTHEWORLD), Fiera Milano City, Milan, Italy | |
miart (Prometeo), Fiera Milano City, Milan, Italy | |
2022 | Artissima (SMAC Gallery), Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Turin, Italy |
FNB Art Joburg (SMAC Gallery), Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa | |
Kindred, Boschendal Norval Art Gallery, Franschhoek, South Africa | |
MiArt (SMAC Gallery), Fiera Milano City, Milan, Italy | |
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town, South Africa | |
Matereality, Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa. A Show of Solidarity, SMAC Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa | |
Investec Cape Town Art Fair (SMAC Gallery), Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town, South Africa | |
2021 | Weekend Special, Cape Town Art Weekend, SMAC Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa |
Opening Exhibition, FNB Art Joburg, SMAC Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa | |
Investec Cape Town Art Fair (SMAC Gallery), Digital Event | |
2020 | FNB Art Joburg (SMAC Gallery), Digital Edition |
Artissima (SMAC Gallery), Digital Edition | |
2019 | That Was Then, SMAC Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa |
Artissima (SMAC Gallery), Oval Lingotto Fiere, Turin, Italy | |
FNB Art Joburg (SMAC Gallery), Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa | |
Art Brussels (SMAC Gallery), Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium | |
Investec Cape Town Art Fair (SMAC Gallery), Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town, South Africa | |
2018 | Forward? Forward! Forward..., Stellenbosch University Museum, Stellenbosch, South Africa |
Wish You Were Here, SMAC Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa | |
FNB Joburg Art Fair (SMAC Gallery), Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa | |
Investec Cape Town Art Fair (SMAC Gallery), Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town, South Africa | |
2017 | Cape Town Art Fair (SMAC Gallery), Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town, South Africa |
Folly, SMITH Studio, Cape Town, South Africa | |
Contemporary Istanbul 12th Edition (SMAC Gallery), Cultural Arena, Istanbul, Turkey | |
X: Part III, Smac Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa | |
2016 | Restore, Gus Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa |
Sasol New Signatures, Finalist Exhibition, Pretoria Arts Museum, Pretoria, South Africa | |
2015 | Portretteer/Portrait, Oude Libertas Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa |
2013 | Pentimenti, Sasol Art Museum, Stellenbosch, South Africa |
Art Fairs
Art Brussels 2025 |
Miart 2025 |
Art Cologne 2024 |
Art Brussels 2024 |
Miart 2024 |
Cape Town Art Fair 2024 |
Abu Dhabi Art Fair |
Art Cologne 2023 |
Artissima 2023 |
NOMAD Capri 2023 |
Miart 2023 |