Through street art, photography, and a blend of multi-dimensional mediums, American artist, photographer, and muralist Punk Me Tender celebrates women, fashion, and style.
Punk Me Tender, who once kept his identity a secret, has since been revealed to be Romain Lefebvre. Lefebvre was born in Paris and moved to Los Angeles at the age of eighteen where he met the renowned street artist Mr. Brainwash. Lefebvre and Mr. Brainwash worked together for over ten years, during which Lefebvre's characteristic style evolved.
In 2016, Punk Me Tender emerged. Venturing on a solo path , the artist created his moniker drawing inspiration from two of his major influences, Daft Punk and Elvis Presley.
Punk Me Tender's artist mission revolves around exploring freedom, vibrant colors, and mixed media and applying spontaneity to all cornerstones of his art. For him, strategies do not always work, as a result, his works are authentic, graphic and raw.
Punk Me Tender celebrates women, fashion, and style, challenging societal norms and emphasizing desire as a powerful driving force in human souls. He creates art with the aim to modernize perceptions, urging viewers to open their minds and reject old stereotypes.
As an artist, Punk Me Tender melds together techniques of street art, graffiti, photography, and fashion. Creating bold three-dimensional mixed media creations, oftentimes repeating the imagery of a butterfly's silhouette.
Punk Me Tender is heavily inspired by figures such as Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Philippe Starck, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Salvador Dali. The butterfly motifs are echoes of these artists, painted amid explosions of color and texture. The butterfly represents freedom, spirit and beauty, exemplary of his artistic objective.
Producing works with a variety of mixed media, Punk Me Tender uses spray paint, original photographs, Swarovski crystals, diamond dust, shiny acrylic coatings and, or three-dimensional elements. His artistic method almost always results in full sensorial experiences for viewers. In many of his paintings, the wings of aluminum butterflies lift off the surface of the canvas, a the three dimensionality gesture toward an exploration of freedom.
Punk Me Tender is also known for his photography, bold and bright colors with high-gloss embellishmentss. No matter his choice of medium, the theme of women with an empowered sexuality stays consistent.
Beyond canvas, the artist has turned the Los Angeles streets into his medium, creating various, captivating murals. His moniker has become synonymous with his street art career.