RETNA Abstract Paintings
American, b. 1979
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)
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Artist: RETNA
Sugar and Spice
By RETNA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
In this electrifying composition, RETNA pushes the boundaries of urban calligraphy with a radiant yellow canvas ignited by strokes of hot pink. Fresh from the studio, this newly comp...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
$130,000
Black on White 5
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA (b. 1979)
Black on White 5, 2025
Acrylic on Paper
83.50 x 60 in (212.09 x 152.40 cm)
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
$55,000
Golden Dreams
By RETNA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
"Golden Dreams" by RETNA is a powerful example of contemporary urban art fused with spiritual symbolism. Painted in rich rust enamel over a lustrous gold background, this mixed media...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
$80,000
Love Letter
By RETNA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
"Love Letter" by RETNA is a powerful example of graffiti-inspired calligraphy transformed into contemporary fine art. Painted in rich crimson enamel, this 2025 work features RETNA’s ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
$110,000
Retna, Sacred Solicitations I
By RETNA
Located in Madrid, ES
RETNA
American, 1979 -
SACRED SOLICITATIONS I
signed, titled and dated "Retna / Sacred Solicitations. I. / 2015-" (on the reverse)
acrylic and enamel on canvas
68-1/2 x 58-3/4 inche...
Category
2010s Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
Study of Lexicon
By RETNA
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Retna's art is critiqued as a unique, transcultural visual language blending calligraphy, graffiti, and hieroglyphs, offering a meditative, rhythmic experience that challenges viewer...
Category
2010s Abstract RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
$105,000
Black on White 6
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA (b. 1979)
Black on White 6, 2025
Acrylic on Paper
60 x 45 in (152.40 x 114.30 cm)
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
$45,000
Black on White 4
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA (b. 1979)
Black on White 4, 2025
Acrylic on Paper
30 x 22 in (76.20 x 55.88 cm)
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
$25,000
Green Velvet
By RETNA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
"Green Velvet" by RETNA is a commanding example of abstract street art fused with calligraphic structure. Painted in deep emerald green enamel, this contemporary artwork features RET...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
$55,000
Black on White 2
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA (b. 1979)
Black on White 2, 2025
Acrylic on Paper
30 x 22 in (76.20 x 55.88 cm)
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
$25,000
Marc of the Wooden Soldier
By RETNA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
"Marc of the Wooden Soldier" by RETNA is a bold contemporary artwork that merges street art, sacred symbolism, and military precision. This 2025 painting features RETNA’s signature c...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
Blue Sand
By RETNA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
"Blue Sand" by RETNA is a compelling work of contemporary abstract art that explores the relationship between texture, material, and emotion. Created with enamel and crystalline elem...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
$100,000
Elongated Scriptures
By RETNA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Created just recently in 2025 with enamel and crystalline on canvas, this piece marks a refined and unexpected turn in RETNA’s practice. Set against a radiant pink background, his di...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
$110,000
Blue Harmony
By RETNA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
"Blue Harmony" by RETNA is a striking example of contemporary urban calligraphy, rendered in radiant shades of blue with shimmering enamel and crystalline. This 2025 mixed media pain...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
$150,000
Eternal Sunshiners
By RETNA
Located in West Hollywood, CA
In "Eternal Sunshiners," RETNA wields a bold black-and-white palette to powerful effect. His signature script, painted in thick black enamel, stretches across a bright white ground w...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Enamel
$100,000
UNTITLED
By RETNA
Located in Aventura, FL
Original acrylic on aluminum. Frame size 94 X 46 Inches.
Artwork is in overall excellent condition. A few minor stains to lower left side panel. All reasonable offers will be consi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
$140,000
Black on White 3
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA (b. 1979)
Black on White 3, 2025
Acrylic on Paper
30 x 22 in (76.20 x 55.88 cm)
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
$25,000
Black on White
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA’s Black on White (2025) is a commanding acrylic and crystalline work on canvas, measuring 48 x 36 inches. The piece features the artist’s iconic calligraphic script rendered in...
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
$60,000
Red on White
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA’s Red on White (2025) is a commanding acrylic and crystalline painting on canvas, measuring 48 x 36 inches. In this work, RETNA deploys his signature calligraphic script in bol...
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
$60,000
Black on White 7
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA (b. 1979)
Black on White 7, 2025
Acrylic on Paper
60 x 45 in (152.40 x 114.30 cm)
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
$45,000
Navy Blue on White
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA’s Navy Blue on White (2025) is a striking acrylic and crystalline painting on canvas, measuring 48 x 36 inches. The artwork features RETNA’s signature calligraphic script—an in...
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Black on White
By RETNA
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
RETNA (b. 1979)
Black on White, 2025
Acrylic on Paper
30 x 22 in (76.20 x 55.88 cm)
Category
2010s Contemporary RETNA Abstract Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
$25,000
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Retna abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic RETNA abstract paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by RETNA in acrylic paint, paint, synthetic resin paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the street art style. Not every interior allows for large RETNA abstract paintings, so small editions measuring 44 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of John Crash Matos, Ilan Leas, and JUAN MANUEL PAJARES. RETNA abstract paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $140,000 and tops out at $140,000, while the average work can sell for $140,000.
Artists Similar to RETNA
Questions About RETNA Abstract Paintings
- What is RETNA art?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMay 14, 2024RETNA art is the name of art produced by the artist RETNA. Born Marquis Lewis on March 24, 1979, in Los Angeles, California, he joined the city’s mural scene as a teenager. He was especially inspired by local graffiti and adopted the name RETNA from a Wu-Tang Clan song as his artist’s tag. In the mid-1990s, he began making murals on walls, trains and freeway overpasses throughout the city, later transforming from a street artist to a break-out star in the contemporary art world. Retna has also collaborated with major fashion brands, including Nike, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Helmut Lang. Explore a variety of RETNA art on 1stDibs.
- What kind of artist is RETNA?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024What kind of artist RETNA is depends on what stage of his career you're considering. Growing up in Los Angeles, RETNA was mesmerized by the graffiti that surrounded him. He began practicing the art form and adopted the name RETNA from a Wu-Tang Clan song. In the mid-1990s, he began making murals on walls, trains and freeway overpasses throughout the city. RETNA later transformed from a street artist into a break-out star in the contemporary art world. At first glance, RETNA's prints and paintings look like an undiscovered ancient script. He has created an original alphabet, fusing together influences from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Arabic, Asian calligraphy, graffiti, blackletter, Roman lettering and Hebrew. Shop a selection of RETNA art on 1stDibs.
- What does RETNA’s art mean?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022What RETNA's art means is largely a matter of personal interpretation. The graffiti artist's intention is to spark conversations with his street art that incorporates elements of Egyptian Hieroglyphics and Hebrew and Arabic calligraphy. You'll find a variety of RETNA art on 1stDibs.