Peet Pienaar (born 29 August 1971 near Potchefstroom, South Africa) is a South African performance artist, graphic designer, and creative director. He is most widely known for a 2000 performance piece in which he videotaped his own circumcision; the discarded foreskin was displayed in a small perspex case as part of a three-monitor video installation showing the procedure in close-up.
Background and Education
Pienaar studied fine art at the University of Stellenbosch, graduating in 1994. He was raised on an Afrikaans-speaking farm and was once a provincial rugby union player.
Artistic Career
He first gained public attention in 1996 when, dressed as a Springbok rugby player, he stood motionless for hours at venues ranging from the South African National Gallery to shopping malls. The performance was intended to explore the homoerotic aspects of rugby hero-worship and the constructs that define masculinity in a patriarchal, predominantly white Afrikaans society.
Design Career
Beyond performance art, Pienaar is a graphic designer and co-owner of The President design studio, which has opened a location in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is also the editor and co-designer of Afro Magazine, a publication celebrating African creativity and design. The magazine, conceived through his collaborative association called "Daddy buy me a pony," won a Golden Clio for its innovative design.
He is the creative director and founder of Mami Wata, a surf brand that incorporates African vernacular design elements. In 2026, he designed the visual identity for BLE$$, a South African digital payment network.
Notable Quote
"I'm using art as an excuse to live a very interesting life – it allows you to be whoever you want to be, do whatever you want to do, go wherever you want to go. It's like a free ticket."
