To create her piece, Ablution of Faith and Frustration, Saj Issa meticulously hand-painted thirty- two ceramic tiles and then subsequently scrubbed off much of her delicate glaze work. The work refers to the Islamic practice of physically cleansing oneself as a metaphor for cleansing ones sins. Issa demonstrates the frustrations and endurance that one builds when engaging in labor or prayer and worship. All these acts require repetition and perseverance, and she considers how the concept of frustration is present in all.

Artist Narsiso Martinez addresses the human and environmental costs of the agricultural industry, in which he worked as a laborer for many years. His sensitive drawings of farm workers on produce boxes “contrast the disparities of lifestyles between workers and owners through the usage of symbols, some found on the used boxes and others produced through the art- making process.” In his new series of portraits, Sin Bandana, Martinez depicts the workers without masks, glasses, or other protective equipment for the first time. The absence of masks represents the workers coming out from the shadows, regardless of their circumstances or immigration status, and being fully seen.

Gelare Khoshgozaran refers to themself as an “undiciplinary” artist whose work engages with the legacies of imperial violence and militarization in daily life. Born in Tehran, Iran, Khoshgozaran’s work in Many utilizes arrangements of toy planes cast in aluminum and 3-D printed in steel and copper to create Boneyard, a reference to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, which is the sole aircraft boneyard for all excess U.S. military and government aircraft. This work encapsulates Khoshgozaran’s preoccupation with the violence and waste of war and of U.S. sanctions which prevent Iran from purchasing metals – such as aluminum, steel, and copper – or the necessary parts for plane repairs, thus making air travel within the country incredibly dangerous.

Lastly, Zeina Baltagi, a first-generation Lebanese-American artist and educator, amasses thousands of pennies to symbolize the labor of her own body, immigrants, and women – often in pursuit of the American Dream. The artist punches holes and assembles the pennies to create heavy chain mail-like sculptures which she has worn in performance works that embody the heavy weight of economic mobility. Debuting at Craft Contemporary will be Baltagi’s Token Bitch, 2022, a pressed penny machine. For one dollar, visitors will be able to insert a penny and use their own labor to crank the machine handle – smashing an image of the artist, sporting a keffiyeh scarf and cowboy hat, into the face of the U.S. penny.

In conjunction with Many, the museum organized a print exchange portfolio called Many More, which celebrates the numerous ways prints can be made and shared. The portfolio was generated from an open call to printmakers and print lovers throughout the United States. Each participant sent in one or two print editions and, in exchange, will receive a portfolio of prints by other participants. The full portfolio of approximately 70 prints will be on display at the museum, highlighting how sharing and creating community are inherent in printmaking.