Punk Me Tender – Transformative Street Art

Punk Me Tender, born 1982 in France, lives and works in Los Angeles. He receives a lot of recognition for his colorful paintings and 3D sculptures. His identity has been kept well hidden even though his artworks are highly recognizable. As an upcoming street artist he left his mark across Los Angeles with some of the city’s most impressive murals.

Romain Lefebvre, aka Punkmetender, was born in the 80’s in Paris, France and immigrated to Los Angeles in early 2000. He was introduced to street art by Thierry Guetta, also known as Mr. Brainwash. The two artists worked together for over 10 years, making art and street art, traveling the world and holding art shows.
In 2016 Romain ventured out on his own, and Punkmetender was born. The name came from two of his major influences – Daft Punk and Elivs Presely. At first, graffiti and street art were his main goal, creating illegally on billboards or walls in the cover of night. But soon the focus evolved to fine art and mural installation. Butterflies became his source of inspiration because they represent freedom, spirit and beauty and they have become a consistent motif in his artwork.
Punkmetender is inspired by the intersection of street art and high fashion and is a favorite of the Kardashian/Jenner family. He lists Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier among the fashion icons who influence him as well as designer Philippe Starck and artists like Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Salvador Dali.
Punkmetender executes his artworks with mixed media that may typically include freewheeling spray paint, bold colors, original photography and glossy embellishments such as sparkling swarovski crystals, diamond dust, shiny acrylic coatings and three-dimensional elements.