“Art is the great democrat, calling fourth creative genius from every sector of society, disregarding race or religion or wealth or color.”
RETNA (Marquis Duriel Lewis) first began participating in the graffiti and mural art scene during high school, when he became the leader of one of the biggest graffiti collectives in Los Angeles. His uniquely developed script is derived from a number of traditions including Blackletter, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Arabic, Hebrew, and traditional graffiti. In his work he uses a combination of spray cans and brushes (to achieve a more defined line) and explores the line between ‘fine art’ and ‘graffiti’ and all the ensuing power dynamics that come with those broad distinctions.
