RETNA Original Painting 60" x 48" w/ Original Gallery Sale Label and COA, 125k Gallery Retail

Artist: RETNA
Title: Untitled
Medium: Original Oil & Crystalline Painting on Canvas
Size: 60" x 48" (unframed)
Year: c. 2010-2020
Inscription: Signed "RETNA" on verso
Documentation: Includes gallery certificate of authenticity

An expansive example of RETNA's distinctive visual lexicon, this original oil and crystalline painting on canvas exemplifies the artist's engagement with text-based abstraction and layered surface articulation. Rendered in a strictly black-and-white palette, the composition emphasizes contrast, structure, and rhythm, allowing RETNA's calligraphic mark-making to function as both image and language. The absence of color directs attention to gesture and form, underscoring the artist's focus on pattern, repetition, and the visual cadence inherent in his work.

Measuring a substantial 60 x 48 inches, the painting asserts a commanding physical presence, enhancing the immersive quality of RETNA's intricate system of marks. The scale allows the viewer to engage with both the macro composition and the micro-level detail of the brushwork, where crystalline elements subtly disrupt the matte surface of the oil paint. This interplay of texture and materiality introduces a nuanced visual complexity, reinforcing the tension between control and spontaneity that characterizes the artist's practice.

Created circa 2010–2020, the work reflects a period in which RETNA's visual language was increasingly recognized within contemporary art discourse for its synthesis of cultural influences, including calligraphic traditions and street-based aesthetics. The painting is signed "RETNA" on the verso, where additional markings are present including the canvas dimensions, year of RETNA's birth (79), as well as AWR and MSK for the prominent graffiti groups Angels Will Rise and Mad Society Kings.

The work is accompanied by a gallery certificate of authenticity. This original RETNA painting is currently unframed but can be framed in the manner of your choosing for an additional cost.

About RETNA

RETNA (b. 1979) is a Los Angeles–based artist recognized for developing a highly distinctive visual language that combines calligraphy, graffiti, and abstract pattern. Emerging from the urban art scene of Southern California, RETNA has become known for transforming written language into complex visual compositions.

Central to RETNA's work is a self-created script composed of symbols influenced by diverse historical and cultural sources. These include ancient writing systems, religious iconography, and traditional typographic forms such as Gothic lettering and cursive scripts. The resulting compositions blur the boundary between readability and abstraction, inviting viewers to engage with the work both visually and conceptually.

RETNA's paintings are often executed on a large scale, using materials such as acrylic, ink, and metallic leaf on canvas or panel. His works are characterized by dense repetition, precise linework, and a strong emphasis on symmetry and structure. Color palettes can range from monochromatic black-and-white compositions to richly layered surfaces incorporating gold, silver, and vibrant hues.

In addition to his studio practice, RETNA has created numerous large-scale murals in cities around the world. These public works have contributed to his reputation as a leading figure in the evolution of street art into a recognized contemporary art form.

RETNA's work has been exhibited in galleries and institutions internationally, and his visual language has been incorporated into collaborations across fashion, music, and design. Through his exploration of text as image, RETNA continues to redefine the possibilities of abstraction and communication within contemporary art.