Taking time away from their studio last spring to be UBC Okanagan Gallery’s 2021 Artist in Residence, gave Whess Harman time to complete a book documenting their artistic practice.
Being Gooz! book cover
Harman’s new book Being Gooz! launches at the virtual Vancouver Art Book Fair starting on October 18th.
Being Gooz! was created as part of a BC Arts Council funded artist residency at UBC Okanagan Gallery.
During the residency, Harman worked with UBC Okanagan Gallery Curator Stacey Koosel, Curatorial Assistant Ryan Trafananko along with printmaking professor and artist Briar Craig on producing new artworks for their first solo exhibition. Their exhibition in FINA Gallery Lossy: How to Save File for Future Transmission ran from June to –mid-September. The final part of their artist residency project, Being Gooz! a 144-page publication, is set to be launched and available for purchase at the Vancouver Art Book Fair starting October 18th.
The book is named after a Nedut’en phrase meaning whisky jack and being nosey. Being Gooz! chronicles Harman’s extensive artistic explorations; from textiles, printmaking and beading to illustration and zines. Themes of Indigenous and queer identity are explored through Harman’s razor-sharp wit and social commentary.
Being Gooz! documents Harman’s artistic practice over the years and includes essays by Stacey Koosel, Peter Morin and Harman. Full of Harman’s visually striking and thought-provoking artworks, the book is designed by Vancouver based graphic designer Victoria Lum.
Founded in 2012, the Vancouver Art Book Fair is an international annual event that celebrates art publishing, and features a diverse lineup of programs, performances and artist projects. The 2022 Vancouver Art Book fair ran from October 18 to 26, with programming and participants presenting and selling their artbooks online, check out the Vancouver Book Fair Facebook page for details and updates.
Being Gooz! will also be available for purchase from UBC Okanagan Art Gallery website later this fall.
About Whess Harman
Whess Harman is Carrier Wit’at, a nation amalgamated by the federal government under the Lake Babine Nation. Harman graduated from Emily Carr University of Art + Design’s BFA program in 2014, and currently lives and works on the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh as the curator of grunt gallery. Their multidisciplinary practice includes beading, illustration, text, poetry and curation.