Cardboard Reliquary: A Portraiture Workshop with Narsiso Martinez

Artist Narsiso Martinez (b. 1977, Oaxaca, Mexico) leads a workshop on painting and drawing portraits on salvaged materials such as cardboard and paper bags. The use of these humble materials honors both the impermanence and the significance of our everyday lives and the people within them. No prior is experience required, and all materials will be provided, but you're encouraged to bring a photo reference for your portrait. Register above.

Martinez’s drawings and mixed media installations often feature multi-figure compositions set amidst agricultural landscapes. Drawing from his own experience as a farmworker, he focuses on the people performing the essential labor required to fill produce sections and restaurant kitchens across the country. His portraits of farmworkers are rendered in paint, drawing, and sculpture on discarded produce boxes collected from grocery stores.

Experience Narsiso’s work at his exhibit "Narsiso Martinez: Best Used By" in the Gallery at the Institute for the Humanities, on view from November 13 through December 19. The exhibit highlights timely issues related to worker invisibility and anonymity. As part of his project, Martinez will be researching in archives related to regional agricultural history and engaging with local food service workers.

This workshop is a partnership between the U-M Library, Institute for the Humanities, and Arts Initiative.