Sugar and Spice

72 x 72”
2025
RETNA
Velvet and enamel on canvas

In this electrifying composition, RETNA pushes the boundaries of urban calligraphy with a radiant yellow canvas ignited by strokes of hot pink. Fresh from the studio, this newly completed work by RETNA is a luminous declaration of color, language, and cultural fusion. The contrast is jarring and deliberate—RETNA doesn’t whisper; he makes his presence felt.

The glyphs, drawn from an evolving alphabet inspired by Hebrew, Arabic, Gothic, and street typography, shimmer like coded relics from a future civilization. The hot pink script seems to float above the fluorescent backdrop, as if carved from gemstone or glass, creating a layered, sculptural feel that gives the painting a physical presence beyond the canvas.

With this piece, RETNA builds on his reputation for blending sacred symbology with urban aesthetics. The neon palette isn’t just visual—it’s visceral. It grabs the viewer, refusing to be ignored, while the rhythmic placement of characters invites quiet contemplation beneath the noise. The artwork pulses with contradiction: spiritual yet confrontational, ancient yet immediate.

Completed in 2025, “Sugar and Spice” is a powerful testament to RETNA’s ongoing exploration of language as form, identity, and ritual. It’s bold, it’s bright, and it’s unmistakably present.