BC Arts Council, Early Development Grant; Radical Indigenous Survivance and Empowerment (R.I.S.E) Collective, Fellowship; First People's Cultural Council, Indigenous Arts Program, Mentorship at grunt gallery
Whess Harman is an artist and curator based in what is colonially known as Vancouver, British Columbia. They are most known for their beading and zine work, including their Potlach Punk series and their Together Apart Zine series.[1]
Whess Harman is a multidisciplinary artist whose work ranges in media. Their practice includes beading, illustration, design, text, and curation.[5] Since obtaining their BFA from Emily Carr University, Harman has participated in and curated a variety of exhibitions across Turtle Island and Norway.
Much of their work uses humour or wordplay, and references their Indigenous existence and heritage, as well as their involvement in the punk music scene.[6] One of Harman's most comprehensive current projects is Together Apart.[7] The project began from a symposium event, loosely based on grunt gallery's Two-Spirit cabaret's from the early 1990s.[8]TogetherApart now centres around a fluctuating collective of Indigiqueer and/or Two-Spirit artists. As a part of this project, the Together Apart Zine was created and now has seven published volumes.[9] As a continuation of this work, a podcast led by Indigenous writers and creators is currently in the works.[10]
In 2020, Harman designed a "Land Back" sewn patch, which they sold multiples of in order to raise money for organizations and legal funds that support Indigenous land defenders. The "Land Back" patch was also used in a collaboration with musical group The Halluci Nation as the cover for a song with the same title.[11]
In January 2021, Harman was announced as the new Curator for grunt gallery, after having been involved with grunt as a curatorial assistant.[12] Through grunt gallery, and independently as well, they have curated a variety of projects, including Spark: Fireside Artist Talks,[13] and, most recently, Human Nature - Last Supper for the Capture Photography Festival in collaboration with InTransit BC.[14]
Selected exhibitions
InterAccess, queersphere, (digital exhibition) Toronto ON [15]