Samantha Bergeson

“The Canvas: Los Angeles” premieres on Oct. 6, going inside the world of eight self-taught and self-made artisans who are inspired by their local SoCal communities. 

From streetwear designer Chris “Spanto” Printup, the visionary behind the City of Champs collection, to L.A. teacher’s strike artist Ernesto Yerena, The Canvas tells the moving stories of Los Angeles residents who are looking to reclaim their community through art.

Plus, the Fuse/Fuse+ docuseries comes from the South Central-born director Calmatic, the auteur behind the Grammy-winning music video for Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” ft. Billy Ray Cyrus.

Each episode focuses on a different artist, ranging from the below:

• Calmatic, director (South Central)

  • Raised in South Central, Los Angeles, Calmatic is a self-taught filmmaker who discovered his passion for telling stories at a young age. As a director, he strives to humanize others’ unique experiences without infusing them with negative stereotypes. He seeks to stretch the limits of his viewers’ reality while highlighting the beauty in the mundane. His creative curiosity has allowed him to solidify a place for himself in a constantly evolving industry.

• Ernesto Yerena, mixed-media artist (Boyle Heights)

  • Ernesto Yerena Montejano was born in El Centro, CA, a mid-sized farming town bordering Mexicali, BC, MX. Fueled by his cross-national upbringing, his art practice reflects his observations of the views and interactions between the Mexican communities living on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Yerena shares narratives of his conflicts of identity that he feels are kindred to what many Chicanos of these communities experience.

• Mark “Peaced” Pangilian, photographer and creative director (East Hollywood/Echo Park/Silverlake)

  • Mark “Peaced” Pangilinan is a photographer born in the Philippines and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Growing up all over Los Angeles – he spent time in East Hollywood, Silverlake, and Echo Park – heavily influenced his career and work. Mark’s photography encompasses fashion, music and documentary storytelling.

• Guadalupe Rosales, artist and educator (East Los Angeles)

  • Guadalupe Rosales is a multidisciplinary artist and educator best known for her community-generated archival projects, “Veteranas and Rucas” and “Map Pointz.” The projects manifested in 2015 from the under/misrepresentation and historical erasure of Latin@/x communities in Southern California. 

• Chris “Spanto” Printup, brand owner (Venice)

  • Venice native and co-founder of streetwear label, BornxRaised, which launched in 2013 after Spanto was released from a year-long sentence in prison. The brand was literally born and raised from sketches he made on a manila folder he got from the commissary.

• Joshua Vides, reality to idea artist (Fairfax/Rancho Cucamonga/Rialto)

  • Joshua Vides is a Southern California-based graphic designer, visual artist and a first-generation Guatemalan. Vides was born and raised in Rialto, CA but moved to Los Angeles early in life to pursue his career. His work defines the premise of pop art through immersive illustrations and a range of limited products.

• Estevan Oriol, photographer (Los Angeles)

  • Estevan Oriol is an American of Mexican-Italian descent and photographer and music video director. His work, which encompasses the essence of Los Angeles, has been featured in magazines and reflects Los Angeles’ urban and gang culture. He’s also photographed many celebrities.

• Ann-Marie Hoang “MSTR OF DISGUISE,” wardrobe stylist (Gardena / Torrance / Hollywood)

  • Ann-Marie Hoang is a wardrobe stylist and environmental vibe setter, also known as Mstr Of Disguise. Her style influence is on display in music videos including Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” & “Thank You, Next”, Drake “POPSTAR”, and YG “Loko.”

Check out our exclusive clip from the series premiere, with Spanto opening up about why he considers himself a true artist.

“The Canvas: Los Angeles” airs Wednesdays on Fuse.