Faculty of Art
Experimental Animation
Meet the Artist
Renee
Zhang
aka. RZ/Jiaying, Animation, Character design
“Is this the real life or Is this just Fantasea?”

Hello! I am Renee, an experimental animation artist based in Toronto, Canada. I am currently a forth-year undergraduate student at OCAD University, specializing in Experimental Animation. My work spans 2D frame-by-frame animation, stop-motion, experimental animation, illustration, life drawing, and cover design.Combining narrative and experimental elements, my artistic approach often integrates delicate emotional expressions with a distinctive visual language. I operate a personal blog across multiple platforms, primarily sharing my work in visual formats, and has taken on commissioned illustration and animation projects, gaining experience in independent creation and cross-platform presentation. I am also passionate about exploring the narrative possibilities of animation, and continuously experiments with different media to expand the boundaries of animation and illustration. I am expected to receive my Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2026 and is currently focused on my personal project while planning my future development in animation and visual storytelling.
2D Animation Character Design Storyboarding Stop Motion Animation Concept Art
2024, Expanded Visions
Illuminarium 28 Gristmill Lane, Toronto

Celebrate the work of OCAD U’s class of 2025/2026!