Presented as part of the Global Studio Series, the International Programs & Collaborations Office at OCAD University seeks to foster connections between OCAD U students and our global partner institutions. This initiative brings together students from OCAD U, Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo, and RMIT Melbourne to contribute to a student-led international zine. Designed by Omama Mahmood and Aaryan Pashine, both fourth-year Graphic Design students at OCAD U, the zine invited students to respond to a call for artists and share their work. This collaborative project is generously supported by the Global Skills Opportunity Innovation Fund from Universities Canada.
Stories We Tell explores the intersection of myth and reality, delving into how personal narratives, collective histories, and cultural symbols can be reimagined through the creative process. Mythology has long served as a tool for understanding the human condition, shaping our perceptions of creation, transformation, power, and identity. In this zine, artists investigate mythology not just as ancient stories but as a dynamic, evolving language that influences how we interpret the world today.
Inspired by Roland Barthes’ concept of myth as a system of communication, artists interrogate the ways mythology is repurposed and reimagined in contemporary media, culture, and personal identity. Through this lens, contributors explore how myths continue to evolve—whether by reinterpreting classic stories or constructing new ones that address present-day issues. This project invites viewers to consider how myth functions as both a reflection of and a catalyst for cultural change, demonstrating its continued relevance in shaping our collective and individual identities.
Investigating mythology as a dynamic, evolving language that influences how we interpret the world today.
Project Lead: Jasmine Cardenas – International Networking Assistant with the support of the International Programs and Collaborations Office at OCAD University.
Designed by: Omama Mahmood and Aaryan Pashine
The Zine
Have a look at the risograph zine scan
Participating Artists
Camila Herrera
Camila Herrera, 21, is a mixed-media artist and Visual Arts student at the Belas Artes University Center in São Paulo, Brazil, where she was born and raised. Growing up, she spent a lot of her time with nature and came to an early understanding that humans exist as one with the earth, which later evolved into an exploration of the spiritual connection between women, the natural world and its elements. Drawing from nature, her own subconscious and various mythologies, she investigates the ephemeral yet continuous cycles of life, as well as the sacred harmony of all things in the universe and their intrinsic connection.
Isabella Nicastro
Isabella Nicastro is a contemporary Canadian artist based in Toronto, Ontario. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at OCAD University. Working primarily in painting, photography, and text, her works place emphasis on concepts of lived experience, the perception of self, familial relations, spirituality, and everyday rituals associated with the home environment. She often creates depictions of traditional still-life and portraiture through a contemporary lens. Her work has been featured in several exhibitions and private collections locally in Toronto, as well as internationally in London, England
Ksenya Reztsova
Ksenya is a Ukrainian artist working across digital and traditional mediums, with a strong focus on design and storytelling. Her creative practice is deeply inspired by mythology, witchcraft, and queer themes, blending the mystical and the modern to create compelling, otherworldly narratives. Ksenya's work often reimagines traditional folklore through a contemporary lens, celebrating diversity and empowerment.
Sarvin Sadeghian
Sarvin is an Iranian illustrator and graphic designer based in Toronto, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Design in Illustration at OCAD University. Her work is driven by a curiosity for different styles, and she often experiments with both digital software and traditional mediums to push creative boundaries through rich textures and innovative techniques.
She draws inspiration from mythology and her culture's storytelling traditions, frequently incorporating elements of Persian miniature art into her work to create intricate, immersive narratives.
Alongside illustration, Sarvin has a deep passion for graphic design. She enjoys designing book covers, logos, and typography for advertising and editorial projects, blending her artistic intuition with strong design principles. Whether working with traditional materials or digital tools, she continuously explores new ways to tell visual stories and connect with her audience.
Sharon Zhan
Sharon is a multidisciplinary artist currently enrolled in the Material Arts & Design program at OCAD University. With a background in illustration, her passion for transforming drawings into wearable and functional forms has led her to explore a variety of artistic mediums, including sculpting, textiles, and jewelry-making. Her work primarily focuses on themes of creation, transformation, and the interplay between light and dark. Deeply inspired by myths, legends, and religious symbolism, she draws from ancient stories that have shaped human consciousness. Through these explorations, she aims to continue pushing the boundaries of materiality and storytelling in her works. One of her major achievements includes being selected for the Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship 2023 Exhibit and Catalogue.
Sophie Sawicka
Sophie Sawicka is a contemporary artist working in Toronto. Sophie is currently completing her BFA in the Drawing and Painting program at OCADU (2025). Her work is currently available for purchase through the Partial OCADU Showcase. Sophie’s work conveys a sense of interconnectedness, exploring ideas of energy and existence. Working with oil paint on canvas she blends ‘mindscapes’ using symbols reflective of herself and life's transcendent qualities. Sophie is focused on building her portfolio and exhibiting her work in Toronto. This year she is completing her major thesis project and will be showing at the OCADU GRAD-EX in 2025.
Vishwa Patel
Vishwa Patel is an emerging interdisciplinary artist and curator based in Toronto. She is pursuing a BFA at OCAD University and works primarily in oil painting, watercolour, embroidery, printmaking, and photography. Vishwa's current work is influenced by her Indian heritage and the environment. She explores symmetry, sacred geometry, environmental issues, and fluid cultural identities — bridging Western and Eastern philosophies. Her practice is deeply influenced by art history - drawing from textile design, Indian painting, and renaissance portraiture. Vishwa aims to create a dialogue between traditional techniques and contemporary issues, offering a fresh perspective on cultural identity and the world at large.
WooHyun Kang
Woohyun Kang is a visual artist based in Melbourne. She is pursuing a Master of Fine Art at RMIT University. Her practice, which encompasses painting and mixed media, explores the complex relationships between memory, space, and identity. Having lived across multiple cultures from a young age, Kang’s work reflects experiences of displacement, belonging, and the emotional resonance of place.
Through her work, Kang maps personal and collective memories onto architectural forms, everyday objects, and imagined landscapes, blending internal and external spaces into layered visual narratives. Her practice frequently examines how time, memory, and cultural identity shape the perception of physical and emotional environments.
The work Other World draws on mythological ideas of alternate realms, reinterpreting them through a contemporary lens to investigate how technology blurs the boundaries between reality and virtuality, ultimately reshaping concepts of identity and connection.
Kang’s work has been exhibited in group exhibitions across Melbourne, and she continues to develop projects that engage with personal mythology, cultural transitions, and storytelling through spatial and visual forms.
Zine Designers
Omama Mahmood
Aaryan Pashine
100m is a student-run studio collective at OCAD U that aims to support co-operation within our community. 100m is a network of self-governing studios with the common goal to create a space that fosters interconnection among its members; A space to create, publish, share, and cultivate a communal practice —a community.
We would like to acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada’s Global Skills Opportunity program