Marco Tagliafico

Archipelago 38

2024

Punk Me Tender (b. 1982) is a French street artist whose brightly colored work explores themes of love, beauty, sensuality, and desire. Born Romain Lefebvre in Paris, France, he immigrated to Los Angeles at the age of 18. There, he was introduced to street art by fellow artist, Mr. Brainwash. The pair worked together creating art for over 15 years. Today, Punk Me Tender’s work melds techniques of street art, graffiti, photography, and fashion. His bold three-dimensional mixed media creations often use a silhouette of a butterfly as his focal point amid explosions of color and texture. Spun art is one of the major techniques the artist employs in the work. On his work he explains “the technique I use is itself a transformation: I lay down colors over white butterflies, and watch them transform.” “The same way a butterfly is born, and how it transforms itself from a chrysalis– my whole body of work is based on that” Inspired by the anonymity of Mr. Brainwash and Banksy, Romain began to work under the pseudonym, Punk Me Tender, a name derived from his great love for the legendary singer Elvis Presley and electronic duo Daft Punk. He has held residencies at the SLS Hotel South Beach, Nobu, Astra, Club MIami, and the Kiss Kiss...

"7 // 23" is a celebration of subtlety and nuance in art, an acrylic and textured relief on wood that harnesses the quiet interplay between light and structure. Part of a thought-pro...