Born Marquis Lewis on March 24, 1979, in Los Angeles, CA, Retna joined the Los Angeles mural scene as a teenager.
As a youth of African-American, El Salvadorian and Cherokee descent growing up in Los Angeles, Retna was mesmerized by the gang graffiti that surrounded him. He began practicing the art form and adopted the name Retna from a Wu-Tang Clan song. In the mid-nineties, he began making murals on walls, trains and freeway overpasses throughout the city.
Retna transformed from a street artist to a break-out star in the contemporary art world. He garnered attention from Usher, an R&B artist, who commissioned the artist to create a portrait of Marvin Gaye, and MOCA director Jeffrey Deitch, who wrote in the September 2010 issue of Juxtapoz “one of the most exciting exhibitions...this year, anywhere, was Retna's exhibition at New Image Art.” MOCA also featured Retna's work in the major “Art in the Streets” exhibit, the first major U.S. museum survey of graffiti and street art.
At first glance, Retna’s prints and paintings look like an undiscovered ancient script: a series of hypnotic symbols — complex, beautiful and captivating. But he has created an original alphabet, fusing together influences from ancient Incan and Egyptian hieroglyphics, Arabic, Asian calligraphy, graffiti, blackletter, Roman lettering and Hebrew script.
Each piece carries meaning, conveying an event or dialogue that the artist experienced. The writing does not belong to a particular language. Retna explains, “I want my text to feel universal. I want people from different cultures to all find some similarity in it — whether they can read it or not.” He has also stated that “it is important to have art in the streets as a cultural fabric that is woven into the city for the upliftment of civic pride.”
Retna’s works are in the private collections of Jeffrey Deitch, Swizz Beats, Usher, and Dave Chappelle, among many others. His large-scale mural across the eastern exterior of Restoration Hardware’s new gallery in West Palm, Florida, was valued at $500,000 by the city’s Art in Public Places program.
Retna has collaborated with major fashion brands including Nike, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Helmut Lang, and designed the artwork for Justin Bieber’s Purpose album cover. RETNA also acted as the artistic designer for the San Francisco and Washington National Opera’s production of “Aida."
Find original Retna art on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by New Union Gallery)
RETNA - Skateboard Skate deck (Blue) with hand signed COA - Lt. Ed. of only 100
By RETNA
Located in New York, NY
Beyond the Streets x RETNA Skateboard Skate deck (Blue with wood back) with COA hand signed by RETNA, 2018 Silkscreen on Maplewood skate deck. Accompanied by Hand signed Certificate ...
Maple, Screen
Vagos y Reinas (Vagabonds and Queens), Hand Signed, Numbered by RETNA and El Mac
By RETNA
Located in New York, NY
Makes a fantastic gift! RETNA and El Mac Vagos y Reinas (Vagabonds and Queens), Hand Signed by both Artists, 2009 Limited Edition Exhibition Catalog and Screen Printed Box. Hand sign...
Offset, Ink, Board
$2,250
H 20.5 in W 32.7 in
Jose Parla "The Founders" Print Street Art Contemporary Street
By José Parlá
Located in Draper, UT
Jose Parla "The Founders" Time Limited Edition of 1368 Dimensions: 20.5in x 32.7in Medium: Archival pigment print on 305 gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Ultra Smoo...
Screen
$2,963
H 35 in W 27 in D 1 in
Eternity Hand Finished Screen Print, Framed, Street Art, 2010, 106/150
By Mr. Brainwash
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand finished five color screen print on hand torn archival art paper. Hand signed by Mr. Brainwash on front, with his thumb print and dated on verso. Hand numbered 106/150 on fron...
Paper, Screen
Invader - CAMO S-3C-M4, Street Art
By Invader
Located in London, GB
Screenprint on Somerset Satin Cotton paper with Aluminium frame Edition of 200 + 20 AP 42 x 42 cm - Sheet 51 x 51 cm - Framed hand-signed and numbered by the artist Invader is a French street artist known for his distinctive mosaic art inspired by the pixelated graphics of classic video games, particularly Space Invaders. Since the late 1990s, he has placed his ceramic tile artworks...
Screen
Olaolu Slawn "Batman" Print Contemporary Street Artist, 2025
By Slawn
Located in Draper, UT
Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale better known as Olaolu Slawn is a British Nigerian artist and designer. He began his career working at Wafflesncream, Nigeria’s first skate shop, catching the at...
Giclée
$2,963
H 25 in W 32 in D 1 in
Dream Screen Print by Mr. Brainwash, Hand Finished, Signed, 2012
By Mr. Brainwash
Located in Aventura, FL
Six color screen print hand stained and stenciled with spray paint. Hand signed by Mr. Brainwash on front, with his thumb print and dated on verso. Hand numbered 24/40 lower front....
Paper, Screen
Pleased to Meet You Again
Located in North Adams, MA
Silkscreen in 9 colors on 320 gram Coventry Rag Dimensions: 29" x 29" Signed by the Artists in pencil An edition of 75 John “CRASH” Matos and Eric Orr met for the first time as high school students. Although the exact location is unclear, both agree that it would have been at either Fashion Moda or the Writers’ Bench at 149th Street and Grand Concourse. Founded by Stefan Eins in 1978, Fashion Moda began as a “cultural concept” whose principles revolved around the fact that art can be made by anyone, anywhere and art should be accessible to anyone, anywhere. Located in the South Bronx, Fashion Moda embraced new talent and encouraged creative production across all mediums. The gallery has been credited as a major force behind the recognition of graffiti writing as an art form and it played a pivotal role in a community where Hip Hop was rapidly emerging. CRASH was only 19 years old when he curated “Graffiti Art Success for America” at Fashion Moda and his varied experiences at the gallery would later inspire his founding of WALLWORKS. The 149th Street Writers’ Bench, located at the back of the uptown...
Screen
$550
H 16 in W 16 in
Annette Cords, Local Generation V, 2015, Archival Pigment Print
By Annette Cords
Located in Darien, CT
How we read visual signs and information and how we construct meaning as a result of our reading are central issues in my work. In my Jacquard tapestries I examine the twin pract...
Archival Pigment
$550
H 16 in W 16 in
Annette Cords, Local Generation U, 2015, Archival Pigment Print
By Annette Cords
Located in Darien, CT
How we read visual signs and information and how we construct meaning as a result of our reading are central issues in my work. In my Jacquard tapestries I examine the twin pract...
Archival Pigment
$550
H 16 in W 16 in
Annette Cords, Local Generation W, 2015, Archival Pigment Print
By Annette Cords
Located in Darien, CT
How we read visual signs and information and how we construct meaning as a result of our reading are central issues in my work. In my Jacquard tapestries I examine the twin practices...
Archival Pigment
$550
H 16 in W 16 in
Annette Cords, Local Generation Y, 2015, Archival Pigment Print
By Annette Cords
Located in Darien, CT
How we read visual signs and information and how we construct meaning as a result of our reading are central issues in my work. In my Jacquard tapestries I examine the twin practices...
Archival Pigment
$1,750
H 14 in W 13 in
Jeremy Geddes Follow Cosmonaut Fine Art Print Contemporary Street Art Astronaut
By Jeremy Geddes
Located in Draper, UT
Jeremy Geddes "Follow" Cosmonaut Fine Art Print Contemporary Street Art Astronaut Jeremy Geddes: Jeremy Geddes studied painting at the Victorian College of the Arts and began workin...
Giclée
Kenny Scharf - Looky
By Kenny Scharf
Located in London, GB
Kenny Scharf Looky, 2021 15-colour screen print on Mohawk Superfine UltraWhite, 160 lb cover paper. Signed by the artist, numbered and stamped by the publishers, JRP Editions. 61 cm...
Screen
Sold
H 32 in W 8.5 in
Lt. Ed. Skate deck (Blue with blue back) with embossed COA, hand signed by RETNA
By RETNA
Located in New York, NY
RETNA Skate deck (Blue with green back) with embossed COA, hand signed by RETNA, 2018 Limited Edition Silkscreen on Maplewood skatedeck with blue colored back. Accompanied by Hand signed Certificate of Authenticity on Embossed Letterhead. 32 × 8 1/2 inches This work is accompanied an embossed Certificate of Authenticity measuring 4 x 6 inches, issued by the sponsor "Beyond the...
Maple, Screen, Wood
RETNA X BTS Silkscreen Skateboard Edition of 100 V.I.P. Event
By RETNA
Located in Draper, UT
TITLE: RETNA X BTS Silkscreen Skateboard Edition of 100 YEAR: 2018 CLASSIFICATION: Limited edition MEDIUM TYPE: Installation MEDIUM/MATERIALS: Silkscreen on maple wood skateboard dec...
Wood, Birch, Screen
Sold
H 32 in W 10 in D 2 in
RETNA Beyond The Streets New York City 2018 Skateboard Urban Art Street Art
By RETNA
Located in Draper, UT
Beyond The Streets, 2018 Skateboard 32 × 10 × 2 in 81.3 × 25.4 × 5.1 cm Edition of 250 Comes With Signed Certificate Of Authenticity by the artist, RETNA. PROVENANCE COA From Beyo...
Wood, Screen
RETNA Beyond the Streets Skateboard Deck (limited edition)
By RETNA
Located in NEW YORK, NY
RETNA Beyond The Streets Limited Edition Skate Deck From a sold out edition of 250. Blue and white. Published in conjunction with the 2018 Los Ang...
Screen
RETNA Beyond the Streets Skateboard Deck (limited edition)
By RETNA
Located in NEW YORK, NY
RETNA Beyond The Streets Limited Edition Skate Deck From a sold out edition of 250. Blue and white. Published in conjunction with the 2018 Los Ang...
Screen
RETNA Beyond the Streets Skateboard Deck (limited edition)
By RETNA
Located in NEW YORK, NY
RETNA Beyond The Streets Limited Edition Skate Deck Blue and white. From a sold out edition of 250. Published in conjunction with the 2018 Los Ang...
Screen