Khyati Trehan
How to make the patterns of reality visible?
Khyati Trehan has been asking esoteric questions since the beginning of her career as a designer.
The first project that garnered her mainstream attention was one of typography. While a student at the National Institute of Design, (NID). For a class project, she took on the mammoth task of assigning every letter to an inventor with the same initials, and subsequently presenting their work through the grooves of the letter’s lines and movements.
The scope of the work was epic, and combined designing skills with a comprehensive understanding of the scientific methods that she wanted to represent through the letters.
This work was widely acclaimed and introduced Khyati Trehan’s unique genius to the world.
Professional Endeavours
Since her graduation from the National Institute of Design, Khyati Trehan has found consistent work with reputable institutions across the globe.
She explored her interests in letter based design with Indian Type Foundry (ITF), worked on projects at the Samsung Research Centre in San Jose, USA and was in charge of branding for Codesign.
However, the most influential job in her early career was as a senior communication manager for a design consultancy named IDEO in Munich. While working there, she expanded her skill set with more anthropocentric designs, and a focus of visual storytelling.
This, along with her knack for 3D designs would be the stepping stone for the current success she has achieved as a digital artist.
Impact
Her work has evolved from stationary, 2D, usually monochrome designs, to complicated 3 dimensional models with mobile parts interacting with each other in unique ways.
As an illustrator she has worked on editorials for prestige magazines and news papers, like The New Yorker, and New York Times. Her expertise in 3D design has allowed her to design multiple augmented reality installations. Perhaps the most influential of these works is her partnership with the Snapchat. In collaboration with the company’s augmented reality Spectacles, she designed complicated 3D models which were capable of interacting with visual reality of the physical world. It acts as a culmination of her work in 3D, as well as her experiments with human centric visual storytelling.
Her skill and work ethic has made her a popular choice for major outlets. She was one of the primary special effects artists to work on the 2022 Oscar ceremony, although most of it was slightly overshadowed by the controversial slap that Will Smith landed on Chris Rock’s face.
Khyati Trehan’s work is extremely diverse, but exude an eerie calm which is reflected in her composed personality. Her talents have been widely recognised, and appreciated, having been listed in Print Magazine as one of 15 best new visual artists of 2017. She has been given the Artistry Creator of the Year at Adweek’s Creator Visionary Awards in 2021 alongside artists like Travis Scott and Ines Alpha.
But of course, the best and most recent feather in her cap is the inclusion on Forbes India’s 30 under 30 list.
Khyati herself is nonplussed by these honorifics. She is eager to return to her work, experimenting with new mediums and styles, delivering new projects to the world.
