Whess Harman

Whess Harman
Born1990 (age 35–36)
Prince Rupert, BC
EducationBachelor of Fine Arts
Alma materEmily Carr University of Art and Design
Known fordrawing, beadwork, textiles, curation, writing
Websitehttps://www.whessharman.com

Whess Harman (born 1990) is a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist, curator, writer, and activist based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Biography

Whess Harman (he/they) was born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia and is a member of the Carrier Wit'at Nation (known under the Canadian government as part of the Lake Babine Nation).[1][2] In 2014, he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design.[3] From January 2021 to March 2025, Harman was grunt gallery's curator, having previously worked there as curatorial assistant.[4][5]

Artistic and curatorial practice

Harman's artistic practice includes drawing and illustration, beadwork, textiles, humour, zines, and wordplay.[6] He often references his identity as a queer, trans member of Carrier Wit’at nation living away from his territories and his involvement in the punk music scene.[7][8] His work explores the ways in which art can be used as a tool of resistance, to interpret questions of identity and relation, and to prioritize internal community dialogue over colonial frameworks.[9][10] His work is held in numerous collections, including at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at the University of British Columbia.[6]

Harman's curatorial practice prioritizes emerging queer and BIPOC cultural workers and artists.[7]

Select Artworks

In spring 2019, Harman developed the These Ones (formally Together Apart) zine series following the Together Apart, Queer Indigeneities 2S/Indigiqueer Symposium.[11][12]

In 2020, Harman designed a "Land Back" sewn patch that was used in a collaboration with musical group The Halluci Nation as the cover for a song with the same title.[13]

Harman's text-based works, including his 2020 mural Body as Vessel/Body as Blockade, are often intentionally difficult to read, forcing the viewer to slow down and put in the labour to decipher what is being said.[14] This work is a response to the frequent question of anyone doing land defense work being asked why they do it.[15]

Select Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

Group Exhibitions

  • Somewhere We Have Travelled: Indigenous Alumni Exhibition, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, February 20 - March 20, 2026[18]
  • Land Back Rewind, Vines Den, Vancouver, April 19 - 29, 2025[19]
  • XIÁM, Bill Reid Gallery, Vancouver, February 7 - May 19, 2024[20]
  • Gutters are Elastic, Nanaimo Art Gallery, Nanaimo, July 15 - September 24, 2023[21]
  • Start Somewhere Else, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, June 16 - August 14, 2022[22]
  • Sensing of the Wound, Or Gallery, Vancouver, March 5 - April 30, 2022[23]
  • Distortions and Echo, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, May 29, 2021 - January 3, 2022[24]
  • Exploring Care, Part 2: Holding Space, Campbell River Art Gallery, Campbell River, June 1 - August 28, 2021[25]
  • LAND BACK, Open Space, Victoria, October 9, 2020 - January 16, 2021[26]

Select Bibliography

  • "Body as Blockade," c magazine, Issue 161, August 2025[27]
  • BEING GOOZ!, Catalogue published by UBC Okanagan Gallery, 2021[28]

References

  1. ^ "Whess Harman | www.g101.ca". g101.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  2. ^ "first nations | grunt gallery". grunt.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  3. ^ Website, Emily Carr University; Communications, Emily Carr; Canada (2019-10-15). "indingenous artists only exhibition event". www.ecuad.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  4. ^ "Whess Harman Named Curator at Vancouver's Grunt". Galleries West. 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  5. ^ Huard, Adrienne. "A Conversation with Whess Harman, the New Curator at grunt gallery – Canadian Art". canadianart.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  6. ^ a b "Belkin Art Gallery Collection".
  7. ^ a b c Centre, Neutral Ground Artist-Run (2025-02-22). "The Potlatch Punk World Tour". Neutral Ground. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  8. ^ Wrinch, Jasper D. (16 June 2019). "Whess Harman". CiTR Discorder Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  9. ^ "Artist Salon: Text-based Art with Whess Harman – Richmond Art Gallery". Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  10. ^ "Whess Harman | On Beaded Ground". legacy.uvic.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  11. ^ "These Ones (formerly Together Apart) | grunt gallery". grunt.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  12. ^ "Together Apart, Queer Indigeneities". C Magazine Issue 143 Page 63. 2019-09-15. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  13. ^ Moscufo, Michela. "For These Indigenous Artists 'Land Back' Is Both A Political Message And A Fundraising Opportunity". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  14. ^ Killian, Sarah (2020-12-04). "Art, resistance, hope converge in LAND BACK exhibition Martlet". Martlet. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  15. ^ "LAND BACK Exhibition Brochure".
  16. ^ "chew the bones, they're soft". Open Space Arts Society. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  17. ^ "Lossy: How to Save File for Future Transmission". gallery.ok.ubc.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  18. ^ "Somewhere We Have Travelled: Indigenous Alumni Exhibition". ECU. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  19. ^ "Vines Art Society honours six years of collective work with Land Back Rewind, April 19 to 29". Stir. 2025-04-04. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  20. ^ "XIÁM". Bill Reid Gallery. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  21. ^ "Gutters Are Elastic". Nanaimo Art Gallery. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  22. ^ "Belkin Art Gallery Collections Management System : Exhibition : Start Somewhere Else: Works from the Collection [0000033]". collection.belkin.ubc.ca. Archived from the original on 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  23. ^ Gallery, O. R. "Sensing of the Wound". Or Gallery. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  24. ^ "Vancouver Special: Disorientations and Echo". Vancouver Art Gallery. 2026-04-15. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  25. ^ "Exploring Care creates a safe space for knowledge around wellbeing | Campbell River Art Gallery". 2021-03-06. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  26. ^ "LAND BACK". Open Space Arts Society. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  27. ^ "Body as Blockade". Body as Blockade. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  28. ^ "Being Gooz!". gallery.ok.ubc.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
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