Kaanchi Chopra is a nature-based artist and biodesigner exploring the emotional, ecological, and material potential of living and discarded plant matter. Informed by research into native flora, circular design systems, and urban forest inequity, her process approaches nature as a co-creator, rather than merely a resource.

Through her social enterprise Kohinoori, she works with farmers and street vendors across Northern India to transform agricultural waste into regenerative paper. This initiative diverts biomass from landfills, prevents stubble burning, and generates additional income for farming communities. Rooted in rituals of care, curiosity, and a deep commitment to climate justice, Kaanchi’s practice spans botanical preservation and material innovation. Having grown up with little to no access to green spaces and carrying a deep sense of ecological grief, she seeks to make environmentalism accessible, joyful and tactile, rather than doom-laden or overly theoretical.

She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2021 with a BFA in Industrial Design and a minor in Nature, Culture and Sustainability Studies. Previously, she led design at Remake, a global advocacy organization working at the intersection of human rights and climate justice in the clothing industry. Her work has been featured by the United Nations, Adobe, Mashable, Buzzfeed, Yahoo News, ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), Hypebeast, RISD News, Hindustan Times, Homegrown etc. She is a TEDx speaker, and a recipient of We Are Family Foundation’s The Creatives Fund, The One Club’s COLORFUL grant, RISD’s Steven Mendelson Award for Community Service, the Maharam Fellowship, and the BeVisioneers: The Mercedez-Benz Fellowship. You’ll mostly find her foraging fallen flowers and tending to her herbarium.

For collaborations or queries, email - kchopra@alumni.risd.edu.