*APC ART is pleased to present an exceptional, museum-quality original by RETNA (Marquis Lewis), titled “Malibu.”*

Executed in early **2024** at the artist’s renowned **Santa Fe Avenue studio in Los Angeles, California**, *“Malibu”* is a **unique, one-of-one painting** realized in acrylics on wove fine art paper. The work measures **44” x 30”** and is **initialed en verso by the artist in green ink**, confirming its authenticity and direct studio provenance.

RETNA is universally regarded as one of the most influential figures to emerge from the Los Angeles street art movement, successfully bridging graffiti, calligraphy, and contemporary fine art. Rising to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he developed a visual language entirely his own—an intricate, cryptic script he refers to as **“Margraves.”** This invented calligraphy has been studied by scholars and cultural theorists and is often described as a *secret language*, drawing influence from **Arabic, Olde English, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, Hebrew, Sanskrit, and other historic writing systems**.

RETNA’s impact on contemporary art extends far beyond the street. He has collaborated with some of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions and luxury brands, most notably **Louis Vuitton**, and was selected to design the monumental stage backdrops for **Verdi’s “Aida”** at the Los Angeles Opera—an unprecedented crossover between street art and classical performance. His work has been exhibited internationally by leading galleries and is held in major private and institutional collections worldwide.

Despite a series of highly publicized legal issues and erratic events in his younger years—including the now-legendary incident in which he set fire to his own exhibition—RETNA has remained one of the most sought-after artists of his generation. Today, his work is avidly collected by **leading figures in music, fashion, finance, and entertainment**, as well as by discerning museums and private foundations who recognize the historical importance of his practice.

*“Malibu”* is a commanding and highly refined example of RETNA at full maturity. The composition features bold, sweeping black Margraves layered across a luminous white ground, punctuated by controlled gestures of **emerald-green pigment and ink splatter**. The work balances forceful calligraphic strokes with moments of restraint, creating rhythmic tension that invites prolonged viewing. Every hallmark of RETNA’s most desirable works is present: scale, movement, layered symbolism, controlled chaos, and unmistakable visual authority.

The work is **in hand in the United States** and will **ship immediately**. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a significant, large-scale RETNA painting from an important and highly sought-after recent period in the artist’s career.

*We are pleased to offer professional archival framing services upon request.*

*OFFERED EXCLUSIVELY BY APC ART* 
MIA. ATL. NYC. LA. LONDON. PARIS. TOKYO.

Provenance

Private collection; Austin, Texas. USA. 
Purchased direct from the studio of Marquis Lewis (RETNA). 
This work is part of a large collection of the artist’s work(s) spanning his career.

INCLUDED WITH THE WORK WILL BE A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY FROM APC ART (with the gallery’s blind stamp), guaranteeing the work in perpetuity. 

Condition

As executed from the Santa Fe Ave studio of RETNA any flaws (small creases, imperfections) are a result of the artist’s creative process.