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