Drew.Lab_One

Berlin / Germany

Drew.Lab_One was born in Naples, Italy, and lives in Berlin. Her interest in the power of words and language deepened as she pursued modern philology and later transitioned to street art. […]

Biography / Drew.Lab_One

Andrea Villanis, known by her street art alias Drew.Lab_One, is an Italian-born, Berlin-based artist renowned for her innovative fusion of classical calligraphy and urban street art. Born on June 17, 1985, in Naples, Italy, she began her artistic journey at the age of 13 in experimental theater, which sparked a passion for portraiture and calligraphy. Her interest in the power of words and language deepened as she pursued modern philology and later transitioned to street art.

Drew.Lab_One’s work blends four distinct calligraphic traditions: Arabic, Italian, Cyrillic, and Gothic. By merging these diverse influences, she creates a unique visual language that combines flowing gestures, geometric elegance, and structural power. Her art transcends mere legibility; it is about design, rhythm, and the spiritual potential of language. In her street art, she often repeats words and phrases to create ritual spaces, inviting viewers into deep, almost meditative engagements with her work.

For Drew.Lab_One, art is a ritual—a way to transform words into mantras, emphasizing the idea that “words create reality.” Her calligraphy becomes a powerful visual mantra, exploring human experience and urban life through the lens of both tradition and innovation.

Her work has taken shape on the walls of Berlin, where the city itself acts as a canvas and a living dialogue for her societal critique. Her involvement in the exhibition “Love Letters to the City” (2024–2027) at the URBAN NATION museum marks a significant step in her career, where she continues to merge the past with the future in an ongoing exploration of urban culture and human connection.

“Made of desires and fears” is my contribution in occasion of the expo “Love Letters to the City.” Playing on the ambiguity of the word “Letter” in English, which means both letter in the sense of correspondence and letter of the alphabet, the work composes a collage of quotes from Italo Calvino, in Calligraffiti style, where different fonts, overlapping different times, languages and cultures, influence and construct the geometries and architectural/cultural chaos of Berlin. This city, like all cities, is not a stable construction, but an echo of voices: the sum of the fears and desires of its inhabitants.”

Photo: Drew.Lab_One

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