RETNA: (AKA Marquis Lewis) was born in 1979 in Los Angeles, CA. Since making his debut in the mid-1990s, RETNA has participated in over 30 international exhibitions with countless works in the public realm. Yielding an unmistakable aesthetic that integrates appropriated contemporary photography, graffiti, traditional painting and a unique glyphic style, he has emerged as one of the most prolific street artists in the contemporary art world.
An integral fixture in the Los Angeles art scene since an early age, the transcendent nature of RETNA’s work has allowed him to seamlessly transverse from the unregulated urban landscape to institution galleries across the globe. Merging couture with street culture, the spiritual with the sensual, and fluidity with grit, his paintings provide an exceptional lense through which we view contemporary culture.
NUNCA: Francisco Rodrigues da Silva ("Nunca") is a Brazilian "grafiteiro" artist who uses a graffiti technique to create images that confront modern urban Brazil with its native past. His "tag" Nunca ("Never" in Portuguese) is an affirmation of his determination not to be bound by cultural or psychological constraints.
