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I am a multidisciplinary thinker—and I care about creating meaningful work.


My work leverages systems-level thinking, mindfulness-centered approaches and research-driven scholarship to create immersive experiences that bridge physical and digital worlds. In 2023 I launched New England’s first publication for the South Asian diaspora: desi-gned. I am currently exploring how multisensorial design, through knitted structures, can inspire conscious urbanisms and mindfully aware societies.

I am an honors student in the ︎︎︎ Brown | RISD Dual Degree Program

︎︎︎ Brown University 
Major  ︎︎︎ Psychology
Major  ︎︎︎ Contemplative Studies

︎︎︎ Rhode Island School of Design 
Major  ︎︎︎ Textile Design
Minor  ︎︎︎Theory and History of Art and Design


EDUCATION


Major 1
Psychology has trained me to center human needs—through a robust understanding of human behavior and perception—in every aspect of my design process. 

Major 2
Contemplative Studies helped me develop my core ideology—of using design to create more mindful and kind societies and communities, through the use of subjective, user-based scientific inquiry to enhance objective, statistical data. 

Major 3  
Textile Design trained to me adapt to any and every situation—and apply domain-specific knowledge to a wide set of use cases.  

Minor 1
Art History helped me create a dogma through which I can learn and see the world that came before me and work towards designing a world for our collective futures. 


The 5-year Dual Degree Program
My education—more than anything else, has been an exercise in learning how to be a creative and a critic in all that I do. The challenges of the dual-degree program have taught me what it means to persevere and be dedicated to that which makes me want to wake up every morning.

A Creative

My time in my studio has helped me develop patience and dedication— while being attentive to even the smallest of details, and maintaining discipline in my practice while allowing space for new discoveries to unravel.

A Critic

And my academic work has taught me how to be critical and reflective—to always strive to push the limits of what can be achieved.



CURRENT HAPPENINGS



Fellow and Research Assistant in the ︎︎︎ Costumes and Textiles Department under ︎︎︎ Kate Irvin at the ︎︎︎ RISD Museum (since 2020)

Curatorial Consultant for the ︎︎︎ Jammu & Kashmir Government collaboration with ︎︎︎ UNESCO Creative Cities Network


Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ︎︎︎ desi-gned: ︎︎︎ New England’s First Publication for the South Asian Diaspora


Founder & Creative Director of the Non-Governmental Organization: ︎︎︎ Handmaking Hope



Freelance Writer for ︎︎︎ Brown Alumni Magazine 


Researcher for ︎︎︎ Virtual Textiles Research Group 


Language Tutor (Publication Specialist) at ︎︎︎ Arts and Language Center


Knitting Software Teaching Assistant for ︎︎︎ Anna Gitelson-Kahn 




HONORS & AWARDS




Brown | RISD Dual Degree Program  (2% acceptance rate, with a small cohort of 15 students each year) 

High Honor’s Recipient, 2019–2023
(Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design with a cumulative GPA of 3.9)

Student Representative at Salone del Mobile, Milan, 2024 
(selected as 1/15 students to represent the future of RISD at the most famed furniture show: Salone del Mobile in Milan, Italy) 

Keynote Student Speaker, 2022 (at the reception for the incoming President of Rhode Island School of Design— Crystal Williams, hosted by the President of Brown University— Christina Paxton)


John Hays Special Collections Library “Women at Brown” Purchase Prize, 2021 by Brown University(First student of South Asian descent to ever receive this award)

Baker & Whitfield Prize, 2020 & 2021 by The Fleet Library at RISD (2-time awardee of the prize, granted to 6 out of 150 applicants each year)

Academic Excellence, 2019 by the Bombay International School
(Ranked 2nd in the high school cohort)

Pillo Pochkhanwala Prize, 2017 by the J.B. Petit Association(Awarded the prize at the association’s 150th-year anniversary celebration, granted to 1 of 80 students)

Additionally, awarded purchase prizes for my artist books in the permanent collections of the RISD Fleet Library and the John Hay Library

FELLOWSHIPS & GRANTS



Industrial Design Health and Wellness Fund, 2024

Barbara L. Kulhman Foundation Scholarship for the Fiber Arts, 2023 

Brown Arts Institute Student Grant, 2023

Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship Explore Grant, 2023 

Research at Brown (RAB) Undergraduate Grant, 2023

Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia Grant, 2023

Pembroke Center for Teaching and Women Grant, 2023

Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice Grant, 2023

History of Art and Architecture Grant, 2023

RISD Student Representative in Washington D.C., 2022 for the Alliance of the Arts in Research Universities Summit(Selected from a cohort of 20 students to attend the university-sponsored event)

Student Provisional Ubiquitous Research Grant Recipient, 2021 by RISD Research (Inaugural batch of recipients– awarded to 20 out of 2500 students in the university)

Global Brown Fellowship, 2021

by Brown University (Inaugural batch of recipients– awarded to 10 out of 500 applicants)



FAVORITE THINGS


Visiting a new museum on my dream list of 550 museums (I am at 133 at the moment!) or guiding a tour at my favorite local museums.

Taking long walks and collecting fallen flowers.

Teaching yoga and meditation to anyone and everyone around me.



RECENT READINGS


Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman 
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
MAUS by Art Spiegelman






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YUKTI V. AGARWAL


As a multidisciplinary thinker, my work aims to reimagine societies and futures through engaged research and purposeful design and innovation. 

︎︎︎ About


Brown | RISD Dual Degree Program

Majors 3 
    Textile Design  
    Psychology   
    Mindfulness Studies

Minor 1
    Art and Design History