*APC ART is proud to present “Mitad dentro, Mitad afuera,” (AKA “Half in, Half out”).*

*A commanding, museum-scale unique 1/1 watercolor executed by RETNA (Marquis Lewis) in 2018 at the artist’s famed Santa Fe Avenue studio. Measuring an impressive 44” x 30”, this exceptional original embodies the visual strength, cultural literacy, and technical mastery that define RETNA’s most sought-after body of work.*

*RETNA has firmly established himself as one of the most important voices to emerge from the contemporary urban art movement. Renowned for his proprietary visual language — a sophisticated script influenced by Gothic blackletter, ancient hieroglyphics, Arabic calligraphy, and traditional graffiti — RETNA has created a style that is immediately recognizable and globally respected. His work exists at the intersection of street culture and fine art, a space he has helped define over the past two decades.*

*Collected by major institutions, elite private collectors, musicians, athletes, and cultural tastemakers worldwide, RETNA’s market has demonstrated remarkable resilience and continued upward momentum. Importantly, during Art Miami 2025, RETNA was honored alongside his longtime collaborator El Mac with a major wall at Wynwood Walls — a distinction reserved for artists whose impact on contemporary culture is both lasting and undeniable.*

*Executed during what many collectors consider one of the artist’s strongest stylistic periods, “mitad dentro mitad afuera” showcases RETNA operating with both confidence and restraint. Sweeping passages of watercolor move effortlessly across the surface, intersecting with layered calligraphic forms that feel at once ancient and futuristic. The composition possesses a rhythmic cadence — structured yet fluid — allowing the eye to travel through the painting while continually discovering new visual relationships.*

*The palette is particularly noteworthy. Radiant oranges, atmospheric greens, and translucent washes bloom organically into the paper, creating moments of saturation alongside delicate tonal transitions. The watercolor medium reveals the artist’s technical sophistication; each bleed, overlap, and gestural movement stands as a record of the hand that created it.*

*The title, translating loosely to “half inside, half outside,” speaks to themes of duality, transition, and cultural hybridity — concepts deeply embedded within RETNA’s practice. Much like his career, the work occupies a liminal space between control and spontaneity, street and studio, tradition and reinvention.*

*The scale of this painting cannot be overstated. At 44” x 30”, the work carries a physical presence rarely encountered in watercolor pieces by the artist. Installed properly, it reads less as a work on paper and more as a fully realized painting — capable of anchoring a significant wall and elevating an entire collection.*

*While irregularities in RETNA originals are inherent to his artistic process, this particular work is absolutely stunning and shows incredibly well. The surface is vibrant, the composition balanced yet energetic, and the visual impact immediate — exactly what seasoned collectors seek when acquiring a large-scale original by the artist.*

*Equally important is the value proposition this work represents. It is priced at nearly half of what comparable — and often significantly smaller — RETNA originals are currently being offered for within the marketplace. While there is, of course, no true competition with the APC brand when it comes to sourcing blue-chip, investment-grade contemporary art, we believe transparency regarding value is essential for serious collectors.*

*From an investment perspective, works of this scale and caliber present a compelling opportunity. As premier RETNA originals continue migrating into long-term collections, primary examples become increasingly scarce. The combination of size, period, uniqueness, and visual strength positions this painting exceptionally well for long-term appreciation.*

*Large, unique RETNA works from this era are becoming progressively more difficult to acquire. Opportunities to secure paintings of this magnitude — particularly at such a strategic entry point — are exceptionally rare.*

*We are pleased to offer archival framing options to ensure the work is presented, protected, and preserved to museum standards.*

*The work is in hand and available for immediate acquisition.*

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

Provenance
Private Collection; Los Angeles, California, USA. 
Private Collection; Austin, Texas, USA. 

INCLUDED WITH THE WORK WILL
BE A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY FROM APC ART, GUARANTEEING AUTHENTICITY IN PERPETUITY. 

Condition
The work is as executed by the artist;  imperfections, smudging etc are a result of the artist’s creative process. SHOWS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.