Luca Barcellona
Luca Barcellona is a graphic designer, artist, and a standout figure in contemporary calligraphy. Emerging from the 1990s hip hop movement, he turned to professional calligraphy in 1999, developing a distinctive style that bridges classical letterforms, graffiti culture, and digital experimentation. His work spans graphic design, publishing, advertising, packaging, and large-scale live performances. And his influential visual language has inspired a new generation of calligraphy practitioners. For him, writing is a deeply meditative act — a way of reclaiming human rhythm and gesture within the accelerated pace of contemporary life. His commissions include major international brands and leading cultural institutions, and his works are held in the permanent collections of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin and the San Francisco Public Library.
A dedicated educator since 2007, he has taught at leading design schools and conducted workshops worldwide. A founding partner of Lazy Dog Press, he is the author of several publications, including Take Your Pleasure Seriously (2012) and Do The Write Thing (2024). He edited the Manuale di Calligrafia (Associazione Calligrafica Italiana, 2020), and has designed the covers of notable books including Signs of Italy, Pittori di Cinema, and the monograph of Ennio Morricone’s discography. Luca is also an avid collector of vinyl — spanning jazz, rare library music, and obscure soundtracks — and incorporates his musical research into DJ sets and curated selections for the Wax Up! project blog, a community of collectors and DJs launched with Radio Raheem in 2014. He lives and works in Milan.
To get to know more about Luca’s work, check out this video.
Click here to read Luca's Illustrated Interview inspired by the Proust Questionnaire.
