In the Paint is an organizational initiative that recognizes, supports, and uplifts artists of color in Los Angeles.
The Lakers have been synonymous with the culture of Los Angeles since Dr. Jerry Buss bought the team in 1979. This culture has flourished for nearly 50 years and extends past pure entertainment but has roots in the arts as well.
In its third year, In the Paint strives to change the trajectory of a cohort of L.A.-based BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) artists’ careers through both in-kind funding and long-term programming supporting a creator economy.
The beauty of the city is the dfferent stories that emerge from every neighborhood around this sprawling metropolis. As their home, the Lakers are honored to provide a platform to share these stories.
Works for sale
All works below are for sale through Band of Vices. To purchase any of the pieces click on the image. On the specific artwork page there is a purchase option. If the Work is available you can purchase it by adding it to your cart and checking out.
Everyone who acquires art from the 2023-24 In the Paint collection, will be invited to attend a special In the Paint Exhibition at the UCLA Health Training Center on February 26, 2024. Attendance for this year’s exhibition will be reserved for purchasers of works.
We encourage you to support the In the Paint Program and the 2023-24 In the Paint Contributing Artists by purchasing available In the Paint Program works. Artwork availability is subject to change and all sales will be subject to terms and conditions as determined by Band of Vices.
NOTE: All works will be included in the 2023-2024 ITP Exhibiton scheduled to take place February 26, 2024. Works purchased will be available for pickup/delivery following the Exhibition but no later than March 1, 2024.
JENNIA FREDRIQUE APONte
Jennia Fredrique Aponte, a mixed media artist hailing from Gary, Indiana, explores the rich history of Black dancers and unsung Black figures through her intricate paper mosaics. Each creation, meticulously crafted using rare, recycled and handmade paper from her globetrotting travels, serve as an homage to the past while envisioning a future defined by love and inclusivity, honoring her ancestral roots.
christen austin
Christen Austin creates visual narratives through figurative painting and portraiture using acrylic paint on canvas. Her work explores the social culture of black people living in America and illustrates its beauty and universal qualities. By combining representational imagery with a surrealistic style, Christen strives to communicate that black people can occupy any and every space, real and imaginary.
Domonique brown
Domonique Brown's art pieces are a tribute to the diverse lives of people of color, featuring lively colors and Afro-inspired patterns that are created using markers and acrylic paint on paper. She defies conventional norms of beauty, taste, and power, and celebrates individuality through her work by portraying her subjects in a simple yet dignified manner, capturing their stories in the process.
Bryan ida
For the past 5 years I have been engaged in a body of work that examines historic events in the context of the current social and political climate and raises awareness of past abuse and injustice by a government against a targeted minority group it’s called “con.Text”. I use contemporary subjects with a connection to historic events to point out that man’s inhumanity toward man is universal and unending. I research and reference text from government documents, declarations or other forms of institutional communication and use the words as my mark to render each person with the very words that affect them.
lamar jones
Brandon Lamar Jones is a gifted artist celebrated for his bold and expressive mixed media canvases. His work delves into urban landscapes, cultural identity, and symbolism, drawing inspiration from the rich history of resilience within his community. Through skillful figurative painting and a profound command of various paint mediums, Jones invites viewers to contemplate the intricacies of the human experience. His art effectively bridges tradition and innovation, underscoring the enduring impact of creativity in inspiring, provoking, and unifying audiences.
edwin marcelin
Edwin Marcelin’s tactile interest and optimism toward the quality of inner life and spiritual development lead him to explore through the arrangement of dynamic shapes and colors , the complimentary relationship that exist between imagination, memory, and expectation. Using abstraction as a method, his lively color palette, bold strokes, and obvious use of texture are designed to embrace curiosity, and stretch visual meaning as well as provide an alternative to the overuse of copy and redistribution of readily digital images that bombard our present cultural landscape.
michael massenburg
My journey is about crossing the path of the African diaspora experience in the Americas from the past to the present and creating a new future. My paintings explore the rituals of cultural and spiritual practices that are critical in our survival and salvation to empowerment.
khang nguyen
Khang Nguyễn is a professor of philosophy and religion, and his paintings are based on various philosophical ideas and approaches that seek to attain insights into certain undisclosed domains of being, knowing and time that exceed subjective faculties. In essence, his paintings are diagrams that investigate and express the nature of primordial awareness, such as nonduality, nonlocality, trans-conceptuality, undifferentiated light, fullness, and self-recognition.
Jora Nelstein
Jora is a self-taught intuitive Dutch artist living in Los Angeles.Her work is mostly abstract with many layers, often representing the complexity of us humans. To quote a fellow artist, "Jora's work has the three M's, Mood, Movement and Mystery". With the use of bold strokes and acrylic paints, she brings her art to life on canvas, aluminum and paper.
Sydni peeler
Sydni Peeler a visual artist and aerial photographer, born in the San Francisco Bay Area. Traveling as an Aviation Professional for almost two decades has allowed me to internalize the world through a unique cultural lens. My exposure to different landscapes and traditions has inspired me to convey diversity through my work. I consider myself a traditional artist using Acrylic and oils paints as my primary mediums. I combine my passion for earthly photography, black and Native American culture, and nature’s beauty to tell my artistic story.
alicia savio
Alicia Savio is a LatinX artist inspired by her own immigrant experience in the urban environment of Los Angeles. Her training as a dancer enhances the strength of her drawing technique by providing a sense of movement to her figures and structures and her use of colors and textures in oils and acrylics reveal an appreciation for painting abstract forms on canvas. Her reCYCLEd series deconstructs the mechanical parts discarded by our society and extends their life cycle by providing insights to a deeper philosophical meaning, transitioning at the crossroads between life and spiritual plains.
hedy torres
Hedy Torres highlights the stories of immigrants and street vendors in the U.S. through her art. She challenges stereotypes, emphasizing their unique contributions to society. In her ongoing series, she reflects on her own immigrant journey, portraying subjects at work with personal narratives, creating visual diaries of their lives.
jacqueline valenzuela
Jacqueline Valenzuela centers her experiences as a woman within the Chicano lowriding world. Valenzuela’s body of work heavily focuses on lowrider culture, lowrider style paint jobs, and the imagery that catches the eye of spectators. Through the use of lowrider paint job techniques, assemblage, and traditional oil-painting she creates pieces with bold colors, portraiture and the urban landscape. Her compositions emphasize femininity in this male-dominated world and the deep roots she’s planted in the lowrider community.
hk zamani
HK Zamani is experimental. His works are aware of the world that produced them. They are portrayals, even self-portrayals, fragile portrayals. They grow out of or away from their predecessors. They are an embrace and assault. They are guided by chance and necessity.
