Emily Shapiro

Emily Shapiro is a Lecturer in the Department of History of Art and Visual Culture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She is a designer, writer, and design historian based in Providence, Rhode Island. Her academic work focuses on 20th-century design, popular culture, and material culture, exploring how designed environments and objects influence personal and collective identity formation.

Shapiro’s research examines the interplay between visual culture, artifacts, and ideology, revealing their sociopolitical roles in shaping identity and self-representation. Her courses emphasize the significance of material objects in memory and identity-making, analyzing the relationship between designed spaces—such as homes, cities, and the built environment—and their impact on both individual and communal narratives of identity. She interrogates myths of collective experience and how these are embedded in cultural artifacts and spatial configurations.

While no specific grants, awards, or student advisees are listed in the provided text, her teaching and research highlight a dedication to interdisciplinary study at the intersection of design history and sociocultural analysis. No labs or collaborative teams are mentioned in her profile.