The Story Behind the New MTN Limited Edition by Scaner

A new MTN Limited Edition featuring a design by the late Montreal writer Alex Scaner is released today. 

The MTN Limited Editions are a way for Montana Colors to produce a dedication to some of the world’s finest aerosol artists. From the first custom can by Os Gemeos through collectors items designed by Shepard Fairey, Okuda and DabsMyla, the series is a barometer to appreciate the state of graffiti art through the years.

The latest Limited Edition, however, is a little different. Conversation around this can started several years ago, when the Alex Scaner was contacted and submitted a design. The Canadian writer, known for his ability, versatility, and work ethic, produced an abstract design of overlaying marks, demonstrating his eye for product design. 

After battling cancer for almost a decade, Alex finally passed away in September 2017. The impact he left on his partner, family, crew mates and the wider graffiti community was reflected in the incredible tributes that were produced in his name. 

The collaboration with MTN was put on hold, as Montana Colors Product Manager Dario Chemello explains: “We were supposed to make this Limited Edition when Alex was still alive, but fate was faster than us and we couldn’t get it done on time.” 

However, there is still a strong sentiment from those who were closest to Alex that his legacy should be kept alive. “The project was continued by Alex's friends and family, together with our marketing team,” Chemello says.

Sewk is a writer from Montreal that knew Alex Scaner intimately from years painting side by side. “This project had a lot of importance for Alex and the legacy he was doing his utmost to bless us with in his last moments,” Sewk explains. “His illness did not for a second stop his ambition, but it did unfortunately prevent him from putting the finishing touches on this very special MTN spray can.” 

“Some colorpicking and matching tests he had planned to run in his studio never happened, so Kay (Alex’s wife) and a few of us picked up where he left off to have his memory and work immortalized in this graffiti artefact, that he would've wanted and been exceptionally proud of.” 

“Special shoutout to Sear for the chrome choice, there really wouldn’t have been a more fitting color here. Thanks to everyone involved, This is as close as it gets to Scan in a can,” Sewk concludes. 

However, the release doesn’t mark a sentimental dedication to a fallen writer, as it may first appear. “We wanted to approach the product from an artistic point of view above all,” Dario Chemello explains. “It isn’t a tribute to a dead writer, but the recognition of a great artist.” 

The MTN Limited Edition designed by the Montreal King drops today, and goes out to everyone touched by his graff, his art, his life.

You can read more about the life of Alex Scaner in a Tramontana Magazine reproduced today on MTN World.