RETNA: Love Letter | Carta de Amor

San Diego, CA - Madison Gallery, a leading contemporary art gallery in Southern California, is honored to present LOVE LETTER | CARTA DE AMOR, a powerful new solo exhibition by globally recognized contemporary artist RETNA, on view from September 3 - October 11, 2025. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 20, from 6-9 p.m., with the artist in attendance. 

Widely recognized for his iconic hieroglyphic script, large-scale public works and influential presence in both the contemporary art world and street culture, RETNA now turns his focus inward - offering a rare and personal meditation on love, loss, and healing. In CARTA DE AMOR, the artist explores the many forms of love and the redemptive power of connection. The exhibition will feature new large-scale canvases, mixed-media works, and site-specific installations that reflect RETNA’s more authentic shift in artistic intention and tone. 

“After going through an intense personal transformation, I felt compelled to make something rooted in love - love for self, for the people who held me up, and for the world that desperately needs healing,” says RETNA. “This is a moment when connection matters more than ever, and CARTA DE AMOR is my response to that need. This project was born out of a time in my life when I needed to reclaim the idea of love as a foundation. After years of transformation, sobriety, and self-examination, I felt called to create something that felt both personal and universal.”

Rooted in his African American, Salvadorian, and Cherokee heritage, RETNA (born Marquis Lewis) has redefined contemporary art through a distinctive visual language that blends graffiti, illuminated manuscripts, and global iconography. As a 21st-century graffiti street artist, RETNA’s hieroglyphic script recalls the expressive, culturally rooted mark-making seen in the work of pioneering street artists from the 1980s, including Keith Haring Jean-Michel Basquiat. RETNA’s work has appeared in major exhibitions across Los Angeles, New York, and London, and in collaborations with global brands such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel.

“Earlier projects were often about reclaiming space and asserting identity,” RETNA explains. “This one is more about opening space—making room for vulnerability, gratitude, and connection. It carries the influence of my journey into sobriety and the steady love and support I’ve experienced in my closest relationships.”

Founded by art-world veteran and visionary Lorna York in 2001, Madison Gallery is committed to representing a global program of mid-career and established international artists working in various media and materiality. The gallery's program focuses on internationally recognized, museum-level artists whose work contributes to domestic and international cultural dialogue. By using a thoughtful approach to artist relations and community-building, Madison Gallery fosters a thriving contemporary art scene in Southern California.

Exhibition Details:

Title: LOVE LETTER | CARTA DE AMOR by RETNA

Dates: September 3 – October 11, 2025 | Opening Night September 20, 6-9pm

Location: Madison Gallery, 320 S Cedros Ave, Ste. 200, Solana Beach, CA 92075

Please call 858-523-9155 or email info@madisongalleries.com to RSVP.

Media Contact: jessica@jlieupr.com