Biography
Marquis Lewis, better known as RETNA, is an American artist born in 1979 in Los Angeles. He began writing graffiti at thirteen in the streets of Hollywood, then progressively developed a singular calligraphy that fuses Egyptian hieroglyphs, Arabic script, Hebrew, Gothic blackletter and the sign system of Californian gangs.
Driving what he calls his own alphabet, the artist paints monumental typographic panels in which the meaning of the letters remains partially unreadable - protecting an intimate knowledge while staying visually striking. His best-known murals include collaborations with El Mac (Blessed Are the Meek in Los Angeles, 2012) and his intervention on the Houston Bowery Wall in New York in 2012.
Since the 2010s, RETNA has built a gallery career with West Chelsea Contemporary, Maddox Gallery and Tagliatella Galleries, without ceasing to paint outdoors. He regularly collaborates with brands like Louis Vuitton, Nike, Chanel and Beats by Dre, and has designed album sleeves for Justin Bieber and Usher.
Driving what he calls his own alphabet, the artist paints monumental typographic panels in which the meaning of the letters remains partially unreadable - protecting an intimate knowledge while staying visually striking. His best-known murals include collaborations with El Mac (Blessed Are the Meek in Los Angeles, 2012) and his intervention on the Houston Bowery Wall in New York in 2012.
Since the 2010s, RETNA has built a gallery career with West Chelsea Contemporary, Maddox Gallery and Tagliatella Galleries, without ceasing to paint outdoors. He regularly collaborates with brands like Louis Vuitton, Nike, Chanel and Beats by Dre, and has designed album sleeves for Justin Bieber and Usher.
The site contains a total of 1 artworks by RETNA in 1 countries.
Artworks (1)
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