KISS 88

New River Fine Art is proud to present new work by international contemporary artist, RETNA. "Kiss 88" is an artistic exploration of his signature cryptography though a blend of old and new materials. Using mixed media and various colored tapes, the artist vocalizes his implacable street dominance through symbolic reverence for inner city identity. Blues and reds push and pull through the gold overlays. Words cease to materialize, but the subliminal meaning rings loud with such bold approach.

Born Marquis Lewis on March 24, 1979, in Los Angeles, CA, he joined the Los Angeles mural scene as a teenager, developing his text-based signature style featuring intricate line work, complex layering, and a wide range of color.

Each block of text is a sophisticated system of hieroglyphs, calligraphy and illuminated lettering. With influences extracted from Arabic, Egyptian, Hebrew, Anglo-Saxon (or Old English) and Native American mythologies, RETNA's unique vocabulary communicates a personal form of poetry; one that reflects the harsh realities of urban life, while granting itself access to metaphysical considerations. RETNA employs ancient totemic symbologies as a baseline, overlaid with rhythms from the urban jungle. These are sourced from his youth in Los Angeles, born from Pipil (western indigenous El Salvadorian), Cherokee, Spaniard and African American bloodlines.

The artist continues to live and work in Los Angeles, CA.

Email: marketing@newriverfineart.com for details

#RETNA #NewRiverFineArt #Graffiti #LosAngeles #California #calligraphy #lettering #arabic #hebrew #oldenglish #NativeAmerican #mural #complexlayering #Kiss88 #mixedmedia #streetart #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist