Recently, 4me4you had the privilege of attending Locked Lines, a powerful solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist RETNA (Marquis Lewis, b. 1979, Los Angeles), hosted at JD Malat Gallery.
Known for his monumental street murals and a script that defies traditional boundaries, RETNA presents a new series of large-scale canvases that delve into the essence of inscription — where writing becomes both a form of resistance and revelation.
“My practice has always sought to move beyond borders of geography, culture, or even legibility…” RETNA explains. “The line — whether painted on a wall in Los Angeles, inscribed across canvas, or traced in the rhythm of daily speech — becomes both barrier and bridge.”
Renowned for his unique, hieroglyphic script and bold public works, RETNA’s art has transformed cityscapes across the globe — from Los Angeles and New York to London and Hong Kong. For over three decades, he has blurred the lines between graffiti, calligraphy, and sacred text, creating a visual language that is as enigmatic as it is arresting. In Locked Lines, the artist turns inward, focusing not on translation but on the act of inscription itself — still, silent, and powerful.
Each composition in the exhibition is layered with gestural, almost choreographed markings that resist direct interpretation. RETNA’s symbols, while seemingly indecipherable, pulse with rhythm and cultural memory. His script draws from a diverse range of sources — including Arabic, Hebrew, Native American, and Egyptian hieroglyphics — forming a complex tapestry of visual language. These influences are deeply personal: RETNA’s heritage spans Pipil (Western Indigenous El Salvadorian), Cherokee, Spaniard, and African-American roots, all of which echo throughout his work.
Accompanied by music in the studio, his creative process becomes immersive , a translation of sound into visual cadence, where paint and rhythm coalesce. In this way, RETNA’s work becomes more than visual; it becomes performative and ritualistic, a spiritual and sensory experience.
Locked Lines also marks a pivotal, personal chapter for the artist. RETNA has openly reflected on his struggles with addiction and the healing role that painting has played in his life. These monumental canvases, once preceded by billboards and graffiti walls, now hold space for reflection, anchoring his journey in stillness and strength.
“At one of the fastest-moving fairs in the world, nothing really ‘freezes’,” he notes. “Art circulates, trades, and shifts at high speed. My response is to lock the lines in place: frozen in form, but alive in energy. They hold their ground against the constant motion of the fair.”
With Locked Lines, RETNA not only redefines the boundaries of language and form — he invites us to pause, reflect, and listen to what lies between the lines.
Artist: RETNA
