Draft:Punkmetender

Romain Lefebvre best known by his moniker "Punkmetender," is a Los Angeles-based visual artist celebrated for creating vibrantly colored indoor and outdoor work that explores shared themes of beauty, love, transformation and desire. The butterfly has become the artist's signature motif which he uses to create innovative canvases and immersive installations for his viewers.

Career
Punkmetender draws inspiration from graffiti culture, street art, photography, high fashion, and the beauty of the female form.

Early Work
Lefebvre was born in Paris and when he was 18 years old, the artist met Mr. Brainwash, who introduced him to the world of street art. The two artists worked together for over 15 years, including on Banksy's 2010 benchmark documentary film, Exit Through the Gift Shop. In 2016, Lefebvre began making art on his own, using the moniker Punkmetender, which is a reference to Elvis Presley and Daft Punk. For years, the artist remained anonymous, concealing his identity to protect him from graffiti work done without permission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lefebvre realized the increasing importance of connection and community, and he decided to stop making art anonymously and use his real name to better connect with his viewers.

Outdoor Murals
In his early outdoor work, Punkmetender blurs the distinctions between two-dimensional painting and three-dimensional sculpture by painting silhouettes of figures on walls and dressing them in actual fabric. An amalgam of street art and high fashion, this series celebrates haute couture and the elegance of the female body.

Continuing the theme of two-dimensional painting playing with three-dimensional execution, his recent mural work incorporates plywood, aluminum and plexiglass, in addition to traditional painting. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Punkmetender created a virtual exhibition for the Los Angeles gallery Art Angels, as well as an outdoor three-dimensional mural around their physical space that was safe to view. One large-scale mural, Human After All, is outside of the iconic Amoeba Music store in Hollywood, Los Angeles and was created during the Black Lives Matter protests. Another large-scale work is in the Wynwood Art District in Miami and wraps the entire outside of the Astra Rooftop Garden. Punkmetender has also created murals for the Ovolo Hotel in Sydney, Australia, and its MAMAKA by Ovolo resort in Bali, Indonesia.

Work on Canvas
For his multimedia work on canvas, Punkmetender begins with his original photography, which he embellishes and alters with various colors of paint using a spin technique. Next, he completes the work with embellishments including diamond dust, silk flowers, Swarovski crystals, and glossy acrylic coatings. Finally, the works are encased in plexiglass, creating a distance between the sensuality and desire of the image and the space of the viewer.

Digital Work
Punkmetender launched an NFT collection and community platform, entitled The Punk Angels, that included the artist's work in addition to the promotion of work by emerging artists.

Solo Exhibitions
Punkmetender's work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at galleries around the world. In 2016, Punkmetender created an immersive art experience in Los Angeles at the Historic Beckett Mansion designed by architect John C. Austin. This was the artist's first solo show and included three-stories of canvas art, indoor murals and live performances. In 2021, Samuel Lynne Galleries in Dallas, Texas hosted a solo exhibition entitled Together, we rise, we love, we share the moon. In this show, the artist introduced the concept of destruction into his oeuvre by partially burning the artwork and symbolizing the fragility of life. The Pellas Gallery in Boston hosted a solo exhibition for the artist in 2022, including the live painting of a motorcycle on opening night. In 2023, The White Room Gallery in Bridgehampton mounted a solo exhibition of Punkmetender's work, featuring a live art performance. Also in 2023, Gullotti Galleries in Perth, Australia hosted a solo exhibit of Punkmetender's multimedia work, including original photography and white dresses the artist spray painted throughout the opening reception. Laura Rathe Fine Art hosted a solo exhibition of Punkmetender's art in Houston, Texas in 2023.

Private Collections
Punkmetender's work is featured in private collections across the United States and Europe. In 2019, Khloe Kardashian hosted a butterfly-themed first birthday party for her daughter True and commissioned the artist to create a butterfly art installation for the event. In 2020, Kylie Jenner commissioned a large-scale butterfly work for the launch of her cosmetics line collection, Stormi. Mr. Brainwash, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton, Sofia Vergara and Dave Navarro are also private collectors of Punkmetender's art. English singer Frankie Bridge, star of The Saturdays, has a commissioned triptych by the artist in her bedroom.

Public Collections
The artist's work is in the public collections of luxury hotel brands including Miami South Beach, SLS, Nobu, and in 2023, one of the artist's butterfly sculptures is featured in the lobby of the boutique Daxton Hotel outside of Detroit, Michigan.