Virus aka Raffaella Bertolini

UK based artist Raffaella Bertolini employs a variety of media and forms, working with acrylics, graphite, oils, charcoal, spray paint and collage.Originally from Italy, Raffaella received her diploma in Art from the Liceo Artistico Arturo Martini in Savona. Her main influences come from pop and urban culture, music, literature and the world around her. In her portraiture, she blends colourful humour with her own brand of "Psychedelic Pop Art". In her Urban and mixed media paintings, as well as her beautifully detailed drawings, she explores themes of sensuality, humor, religion and mental health. Raffaella's artworks have been regularly showcased in exhibitions in the UK , Europe, and the USA. Some of her latest series of paintings on banknotes have been included in the Cash is King books and showcased at the renowned Saatchi Gallery in London.

In 2018, Raffaella created Virus, a rebellious alter ego born during a late-night painting session. What began as a spontaneous act of creative frustration quickly evolved into a distinct artistic identity; a new space where she could explore darker, surreal, and emotionally charged imagery, blending fine art with myth, symbolism, and subversive storytelling.

Through Virus, she developed limited artwear collections and haunting visual narratives that stand alongside her painting practice. While the tone and medium may differ, the emotional depth, symbolic language, and feminine themes remain at the core of both.

Today, Virus and Raffaella’s fine art practice coexist as two complementary facets of her work — separate in voice, but united in vision.

A personal note from the curator:

It is nearly impossible not to identify yourself with Raffaella's alter ego, Virus is a memory statement, colorful and impactful, a dreamy reminder that we are not made of stone, it captivates a personal full range of emotion under attack and in your face, like a missile painted with flowers.

I was lucky to meet the artist in London at a candle light dinner over wine, in the trendy and street art narrative district of Shoreditch, it was an extravaganza of accents, Italian bites and hard loud rocking smiles.

As her exhibition comes to an end, we feel grateful to be part of such extraordinaire pool of international artists and friends, colleagues and vibrant personalities. Don't miss the last few days at the Drop, don't hesitate over her outpouring and emotional oil palette.

The Drop is open Thursday through Saturday 3 to 8pm or by appointment.