*APC ART is pleased to present “Viva La Raza (Long Live the People),” a striking original painting by RETNA (Marquis Lewis). Executed in oil stick on brown wove paper, this powerful work measures 36 × 31 inches (42 × 37 inches framed) and is signed and dated by the artist on the recto. Bold, gestural, and culturally resonant, the work captures the unmistakable energy of one of the most recognizable visual languages in contemporary art.*

*RETNA, born Marquis Lewis in Los Angeles, is internationally regarded as one of the most influential artists to emerge from the contemporary urban art movement. His work is defined by an intricate symbolic script known as “Margraves,” a language the artist developed by synthesizing visual influences from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, Arabic calligraphy, Hebrew lettering, Gothic blackletter, and modern graffiti. This script transforms language into abstraction, creating compositions that function simultaneously as text, symbol, and visual architecture.*

*In “Viva La Raza,” RETNA deploys this language with explosive confidence. Thick black oil stick strokes form the structural backbone of the composition, while vibrant accents of pink create a glowing halo around the characters, emphasizing the rhythm and movement of the script. The textured brown paper ground adds depth and rawness to the work, recalling the improvised surfaces of street painting while preserving the refinement of a studio composition.*

*The phrase “Viva La Raza,” translated as “Long Live the People,” carries deep cultural resonance and reflects themes of identity, empowerment, and collective strength. Within RETNA’s visual vocabulary, the message becomes both proclamation and celebration — a tribute to heritage and community expressed through the artist’s powerful symbolic system.*

*RETNA’s career has been defined by both remarkable artistic achievements and highly publicized personal struggles. Over the past two decades, his monumental murals have appeared across major cities worldwide, and his studio works have been collected by prominent collectors and institutions internationally. At the same time, periods of personal difficulty have shaped the narrative surrounding the artist, contributing to the complex mythology that surrounds his practice. For many collectors, this duality — brilliance alongside adversity — further underscores the authenticity and emotional intensity present in his work.*

*Despite these challenges, RETNA’s influence on contemporary art remains undeniable. His Margraves script has become one of the most recognizable visual languages in the global art landscape, bridging ancient calligraphic traditions with the raw immediacy of modern graffiti culture.*

*“Viva La Raza” represents the artist at his most direct and expressive — a work that captures the immediacy of mark-making while embodying the cultural and symbolic depth that defines RETNA’s practice.*

*The work will arrive professionally framed to archival museum standards and includes a Certificate of Authenticity issued by APC ART. In addition, the buyer will receive a recording of the artist executing the work, providing rare documentation of the creative process behind this unique painting.*

*A powerful and culturally significant original RETNA — expressive, historically resonant, and an exceptional acquisition for collectors of important contemporary urban art.*

*OFFERED EXCLUSIVELY BY APC ART*


Provenance
Private collection; Los Angeles, CA. USA. 

Included with the work will
Be a COA from APC ART, guaranteeing authenticity in perpetuity. 

Condition
The work is as executed by the artist. We have framed the work to archival standard and will arrive ready to hang and enjoy.