Creed Gallery in Ascot, Berkshire, offers original works and lithographs by RETNA (Marquis Lewis), the Los Angeles artist known for a constructed script that fuses Egyptian hieroglyphs, Arabic and Hebrew calligraphy, Gothic blackletter and graffiti. Current pieces run from £9,000 to £80,000 and include an original more than three metres wide. Our team can advise on provenance, condition and framing on any work.
About RETNA: The Los Angeles Artist Behind the Constructed Script
RETNA was born Marquis Lewis in Los Angeles in 1979 and is self-taught. He came up through the city's graffiti scene in the 1990s and took his name from a Wu-Tang Clan lyric. His script reads like writing but isn't meant to be read: it works as rhythm, pattern and colour, built from sources that span ancient Egypt, Arabic and Hebrew calligraphy, Gothic blackletter and Chicano graffiti. MOCA Los Angeles showed his work in Art in the Streets (2011) and gave him an installation, RETNA: Para mi gente, in 2013. He has also designed sets for Aida at the Washington National Opera and San Francisco Opera, and shown work at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.
Beyond the Gallery: Fashion, Music and Aviation
His script has travelled well beyond the wall. He has designed scarves for Louis Vuitton and sneakers for Nike, made advertising campaigns for Chanel and Helmut Lang, worked with the private-jet company VistaJet, and created the cover artwork for Justin Bieber's 2015 album Purpose.
Collecting RETNA at Creed Gallery
Our RETNA works range in scale and format. The largest is an original measuring 182.9 × 322.6 cm, more than three metres wide. There are also an original watercolour, an untitled original from around 2012, and two prints: Say My Name, So You Can See Me (2017), finished with hand-applied diamond dust, and a stone lithograph on BFK Rives paper, Ludovico & Ludovico. Prices run from £9,000 to £80,000. At these prices, provenance matters, and our team will talk you through the history, documentation and condition of any work before you decide. You are welcome to visit the gallery in Ascot.
Why Collect RETNA
RETNA occupies a rare spot between graffiti, typography and abstraction, and his script is instantly recognisable across very different media. As with any artist, individual pieces vary in demand and value, so our team is happy to talk you through the specifics of any work you're considering.
