Summer Phenix
Summer Phenix
The Architect of the Unseen: How Ana Villavasso is Engineering the Future of Art
The Architect of the Unseen: How Ana Villavasso is Engineering the Future of Art
ATLANTA — In a quiet laboratory within the Spelman College Biology Department, Ana Villavasso is harvesting life. She is not looking for a cure; she is growing a sneaker. By hand-drying bacterial cellulose into a structural foot last, the senior Art major and Mathematics minor is proving that the future of fashion is not just designed—it is cultivated.
For Villavasso, being a "Game Changer" is not about choosing between the studio and the lab. It is about refusing to acknowledge the wall between them.
“I almost didn't want to not acknowledge my passion for science and research,” Villavasso said. “My goal was to implement my scientific knowledge into my three-dimensional prototypes and creations.”
The Studio in the CIA Building
The shift from traditional art to industrial innovation was a calculated one. During her "Art Process and Practice" course, a class she affectionately calls "Junior Thesis”, Professor Kelly Mitchell challenged the students to fill a gap in their artistic practice.
Villavasso, a Dovey Johnson Roundtree Presidential Scholar with a background in Physics and Biology, saw an opportunity to bridge her "thirst for knowledge" with the global footwear industry. It was in the art studio of the CIA building, while balancing internship applications and portfolio reviews, that her vision materialized.
“Then, Vana Footwear was born!” she said.
More Than "Cool Technology"
Villavasso’s portfolio reads like a blueprint for the next century. She has designed shoes for Adidas featuring motor-powered spinning flowers and built interactive futsal games using distance sensors. Yet, for Villavasso, the innovation must serve a "central praxis": accommodating marginalized and overlooked communities.
“One of the central praxes of my designing practice is to use unconventional mediums as a foundation for product design for different communities,” Villavasso said.
This intentionality is visible in her interactive marble course, a Computer Automated Design (CAD) project created to help Spelman students in Bio115 digest complex curriculum. The next prototype is being scaled to a children’s shoe to spark an early interest in human biology.
“Using mediums that are innovative not only look cool, but serve marginalized communities in an intentional way,” she said.
From Snapchat to the NBA
Her journey to the national stage began at age 16 with Ana Paints LLC. What started as painting Lil Uzi album covers for Snapchat during the pandemic transformed through what she calls a “vast, feminist-thinking experience” at Spelman.
By immersing herself in Creative Coding, Physical Computing, and 3D Foundations, she evolved from a painter into a researcher of additive manufacturing. This evolution has taken her from the AUC to the front offices of the NBA and the design labs of the Portland Trail Blazers.
“Somewhere along the way I was able to refine and define it as innovation research and product design,” she said.
Creating the Pipeline
Villavasso’s impact is perhaps most visible in the legacy she is building for other Black women in tech. She founded the Women in 3D Printing: Atlanta Chapter, the only chapter of the international nonprofit chartered at an HBCU. Through her "Garden of Frames" workshop, she brings together artists from across the AUC including performers, filmmakers, and designers to build a community that can navigate the age of AI.
“Art cannot be defined within those constraints [of painters or photographers],” Villavasso said. “My priority is to bring the community together now so that they can learn from each other and build innovative products that solve current problems.”
The Language of Space
To Villavasso, Mathematics isn’t a minor, but a second language. She describes the calculation of curves and volumes as a mental translation, much like converting her favorite songs into Spanish lyrics.
“My minor takes a 3D approach, just like my art takes a technology approach,” she said. “This goes to prove that Spelman is truly what you make of it. Its liberality is a blessing.”
The Mandate to Execute
As she prepares to join the Class of 2026 as a graduate and Spelman alumna, Villavasso’s parting words for the next generation of Black girls in STEAM are not just advice, but a mandate.
“Have crazy ideas, and stick with them. Technology will transform human skillset and our careers, and it is important to stay three steps ahead,” she said. “Don't just think, execute. The worst you have to do is try again.”
ATLANTA — In a quiet laboratory within the Spelman College Biology Department, Ana Villavasso is harvesting life. She is not looking for a cure; she is growing a sneaker. By hand-drying bacterial cellulose into a structural foot last, the senior Art major and Mathematics minor is proving that the future of fashion is not just designed—it is cultivated.
For Villavasso, being a "Game Changer" is not about choosing between the studio and the lab. It is about refusing to acknowledge the wall between them.
“I almost didn't want to not acknowledge my passion for science and research,” Villavasso said. “My goal was to implement my scientific knowledge into my three-dimensional prototypes and creations.”
The Studio in the CIA Building
The shift from traditional art to industrial innovation was a calculated one. During her "Art Process and Practice" course, a class she affectionately calls "Junior Thesis”, Professor Kelly Mitchell challenged the students to fill a gap in their artistic practice.
Villavasso, a Dovey Johnson Roundtree Presidential Scholar with a background in Physics and Biology, saw an opportunity to bridge her "thirst for knowledge" with the global footwear industry. It was in the art studio of the CIA building, while balancing internship applications and portfolio reviews, that her vision materialized.
“Then, Vana Footwear was born!” she said.
More Than "Cool Technology"
Villavasso’s portfolio reads like a blueprint for the next century. She has designed shoes for Adidas featuring motor-powered spinning flowers and built interactive futsal games using distance sensors. Yet, for Villavasso, the innovation must serve a "central praxis": accommodating marginalized and overlooked communities.
“One of the central praxes of my designing practice is to use unconventional mediums as a foundation for product design for different communities,” Villavasso said.
This intentionality is visible in her interactive marble course, a Computer Automated Design (CAD) project created to help Spelman students in Bio115 digest complex curriculum. The next prototype is being scaled to a children’s shoe to spark an early interest in human biology.
“Using mediums that are innovative not only look cool, but serve marginalized communities in an intentional way,” she said.
From Snapchat to the NBA
Her journey to the national stage began at age 16 with Ana Paints LLC. What started as painting Lil Uzi album covers for Snapchat during the pandemic transformed through what she calls a “vast, feminist-thinking experience” at Spelman.
By immersing herself in Creative Coding, Physical Computing, and 3D Foundations, she evolved from a painter into a researcher of additive manufacturing. This evolution has taken her from the AUC to the front offices of the NBA and the design labs of the Portland Trail Blazers.
“Somewhere along the way I was able to refine and define it as innovation research and product design,” she said.
Creating the Pipeline
Villavasso’s impact is perhaps most visible in the legacy she is building for other Black women in tech. She founded the Women in 3D Printing: Atlanta Chapter, the only chapter of the international nonprofit chartered at an HBCU. Through her "Garden of Frames" workshop, she brings together artists from across the AUC including performers, filmmakers, and designers to build a community that can navigate the age of AI.
“Art cannot be defined within those constraints [of painters or photographers],” Villavasso said. “My priority is to bring the community together now so that they can learn from each other and build innovative products that solve current problems.”
The Language of Space
To Villavasso, Mathematics isn’t a minor, but a second language. She describes the calculation of curves and volumes as a mental translation, much like converting her favorite songs into Spanish lyrics.
“My minor takes a 3D approach, just like my art takes a technology approach,” she said. “This goes to prove that Spelman is truly what you make of it. Its liberality is a blessing.”
The Mandate to Execute
As she prepares to join the Class of 2026 as a graduate and Spelman alumna, Villavasso’s parting words for the next generation of Black girls in STEAM are not just advice, but a mandate.
“Have crazy ideas, and stick with them. Technology will transform human skillset and our careers, and it is important to stay three steps ahead,” she said. “Don't just think, execute. The worst you have to do is try again.”