Harmeet is a fat, trans, Disabled, Sikh-Panjabi multidisciplinary artist and designer based in Tkaronto. Harmeet primarily does illustration, graphic design, collage, painting and textile arts. They actively draw from their Punjabi heritage by playing with bold and refreshing design elements. They use a disability justice framework in their art, by creating visuals that sensorily activate feelings of slowness and pleasure. Harmeet is currently a MA student in Critical Disability Studies at York University, where their research further explores the themes of their art practice: intergenerational crip archives, hacking normative design, Panjabi survivor hood, and fat temporality.

Harmeet has recently completed artist residencies at the ArtworksTO, YTB Gallery, the NationalAccess Centre and Whipper Snapper Gallery. They also help run the Digizine Residency, a virtual, covid-cautious residency for 2SQTBIPoC emerging zine makers. Their art has been shown at the Art Gallery of Mississauga, and sold at pop-ups and markets at the Leslie Lohman Museum of art, AGO, Hard Feelings mental health shop, Stakt and the 519. Harmeet has additionally illustrated and designed for select clients: Mass Culture, Shameless magazine, LGBT Youth Line, Canadian Roots Exchange, Journalists for Human Rights Toronto Market Co, Playwrights Canada Press and CBC. 

As a community arts facilitator and coordinator, Harmeet hosts workshops around accessible digital design, collaging/archiving and textile painting/treating. They are also a social media and accessibility consultant, select clients include Reel Asian Film Festival, Indivisible Writing and Possibilities Podcast.  

Outside of their Arts Practice Harmeet is a community organizer focused on disability justice, mutual aid and harm reduction. Their community work grounds the intentions of their arts practice and in all their roles, Harmeet is interested in creating portals to an otherwise - where folks can show up as their fully embodied selves.

More on Harmeet’s website: https://harmeet-rehal.com/

@harmeetrehal on Instagram