Retna

What Retna does

Retna is a privately-held contemporary art company built around the practice and personal brand of artist Marquis Lewis (RETNA), who was born in Los Angeles in 1979. The company operates from a Los Angeles studio and is led by Veronika Mudra Lewis as CEO and partner, with the artist serving as founder and creative lead. Retna generates revenue through five streams: sales of original paintings and auction-grade works through gallery partnerships and direct channels, limited-edition prints and home decor merchandise through its e-commerce storefront, brand collaboration and licensing projects with luxury and lifestyle counterparties (Louis Vuitton, Nike, VistaJet, Kvitkova vanil), commissioned large-scale public and private murals worldwide, and gallery exhibitions across the US (New Image Gallery, Michael Kohn Gallery) and Europe (Maddox Gallery, London).

The company's underlying technology is an artisanal rather than digital asset: a proprietary visual language that fuses Gothic calligraphy, hieroglyphs, Hebrew, Arabic script, and classic graffiti codes into a distinctive typographic system. Distribution operates through three parallel channels — a direct-to-consumer Webflow-based storefront, a network of commercial galleries on both US coasts and in London, and brand-collaboration products distributed through partner retail and experiential activations. Customer segments are dual: affluent art collectors and high-net-worth individuals acquiring originals and limited editions, and luxury/lifestyle brand partners commissioning collaborations and murals. The business is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional capital, parent company, or external shareholders.

Name

Retna

Legal name

RETNA

Website

https://retna.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Retna is a Los Angeles-based contemporary art company built around artist Marquis Lewis, selling original paintings, limited-edition prints, mural commissions, and brand collaborations through galleries and e-commerce to collectors and luxury brands worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Neck

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Original Art Sales: Sale of original paintings and artworks through gallery partnerships and direct channels, including high-value auction pieces.
2. Limited Edition Prints & Merchandise: Sale of prints, home decor items, and branded merchandise through the e-commerce storefront.
3. Brand Collaborations & Licensing: Collaborative brand projects with luxury and lifestyle companies including Louis Vuitton, Nike, VistaJet, and others, generating revenue through licensing and co-creation agreements.
4. Mural Commissions: Creation of large-scale murals for public and private spaces, commissioned by brands, institutions, and municipalities worldwide.
5. Exhibition & Gallery Revenue: Gallery exhibitions and shows worldwide, featuring works at galleries such as Maddox Gallery (London) and New Image Gallery (Los Angeles).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Retna is a contemporary art company that creates, sells, and licenses original paintings, limited-edition prints, home decor items, and large-scale mural commissions through its e-commerce storefront, gallery partnerships, and brand collaborations with luxury and lifestyle companies. The artist also executes commissioned murals for public and private spaces across global cities, while collaborating with brands such as Louis Vuitton, Nike, and VistaJet on co-created products and experiences.

Product overview

Retna is an art company operated by artist Marquis Lewis (RETNA) and CEO Veronika Mudra Lewis. The company offers a unified portfolio of original artwork and commercial products: original Paintings and Prints available through galleries and the online shop, large-scale Murals commissioned for public and private spaces, and Home Decor items. The company also facilitates brand collaborations with luxury and lifestyle partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paintings Original artwork paintings by RETNA featuring his distinctive typographic visual language rooted in Gothic calligraphy, hieroglyphs, Hebrew, Arabic script, and graffiti codes. Sold through galleries, auctions, and direct channels to collectors.
• Prints Reproduction prints of RETNA's artwork available for purchase through the online shop, making his visual language accessible at lower price points than original paintings.
• Murals Large-scale public mural commissions created by RETNA in cities worldwide, including Los Angeles, Miami, Mexico City, New York, and Copenhagen, Denmark. Commissioned by brands, institutions, and municipalities for public and private spaces.
• Home Decor Home decor items featuring RETNA's artwork and designs, available through the online shop, extending the artist's visual language into consumer lifestyle products.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Louis VuittonflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHigh-profile brand collaboration between Retna and Louis Vuitton, featuring co-created art-integrated products and experiential activations, notably in Miami. The partnership exposes Retna to the luxury brand's global premium audience.
• NikeflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Nike on limited-edition athletic footwear and apparel products, integrating Retna's distinctive visual language into Nike's product designs. The partnership leverages Retna's street art credibility with Nike's sports and lifestyle audience.
• VistaJetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand collaboration with private aviation company VistaJet, involving art experiences and branding integrations that connect Retna with the ultra-high-net-worth aviation clientele.
• Michael Kohn GallerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMichael Kohn Gallery represents and exhibits Retna's artworks, handling gallery sales, exhibitions, and collector relations. The gallery is a key distribution channel for original fine art pieces.
• Maddox GallerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaddox Gallery represents Retna in London, UK. Featured in exhibitions such as 'Margraves' (2017). The gallery serves as a primary sales channel for European collectors.
• New Image GallerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew Image Gallery in Los Angeles represents Retna, featuring works such as 'Mano a Mano' (2017). Serves as a key gallery representation in the artist's home city.
• Kvitkova vanilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand collaboration with Kvitkova vanil, a partnership involving Retna's distinctive visual identity integrated into the brand's offerings.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KAWS: Brian Donnelly's artist brand that bridges street-art origins with blue-chip gallery and auction presence, and pursues high-profile brand collaborations (Uniqlo, Dior, Nike, Jordan). Closely parallels RETNA's street-art-to-fine-art trajectory and luxury/sports collaboration model.
• Cope2: Bronx-born graffiti artist with gallery representation, brand collaborations, and a merchandise line. Comparable to RETNA as a graffiti-heritage artist with a multi-channel art business.
• Takashi Murakami: Contemporary artist with a signature visual language, blockbuster gallery shows, and long-running luxury brand collaborations including Louis Vuitton. Comparable to RETNA in bridging fine art with luxury licensing and co-created products.
• Mr. Brainwash (Thierry Guetta): Street-art artist with global murals, gallery exhibitions, and brand and product collaborations. Comparable to RETNA in operating an artist-led brand across murals, originals, and commercial partnerships.
• Shepard Fairey (OBEY): Street-art-rooted artist with a global mural portfolio, gallery exhibitions, brand collaborations, and a dedicated merchandise and apparel line. Operates an artist-led brand business structurally similar to RETNA's originals-plus-collaborations model.
• Invader: French street artist known for tile-mosaic 'Space Invader' installations across global cities and a primary-market gallery practice. Comparable to RETNA in operating an internationally distributed street-art portfolio plus gallery sales.
• Barry McGee (Twist): San Francisco-based street artist with strong gallery presence and a distinctive typographic/iconographic visual language. Comparable to RETNA in bridging graffiti heritage with fine-art gallery representation.
• André Saraiva: Street-art-rooted artist with a signature visual identity, gallery exhibitions, and lifestyle brand collaborations (e.g., Le Bon Marché, fashion labels). Operates a similar artist-brand model spanning originals, murals, and licensing.
• Futura (Leonard McGurr): Graffiti-rooted artist with gallery representation, international mural projects, and collaborations with brands such as Nike and Supreme. Closely comparable to RETNA in graffiti heritage, fine-art gallery presence, and sneaker/lifestyle collaborations.

Broad incumbents

• Banksy: Globally recognized street artist with major auction results, gallery and institutional representation, and a strong merchandise and authentication ecosystem. A larger incumbent in the same street-art-to-fine-art category that sets the ceiling on attention and pricing for the segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/realretna
• Xx.com/retnaltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/retnaltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retna-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Retna