I am Niko.

    Zhiyu Zhou, also known as Niko, was born and raised in Zhejiang, on the southeast coast of China. Zhejiang is

surrounded by rivers and the sea and it rains a lot. This influenced her a lot. Water elements are a

consistent thread through all her work and designs.

    Zhiyu received a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland. She studied Business, Computer Science, and Mathematics when she first entered the university, but she soon realized that those majors were not the right fit for her. The turning point came after a film class. She was always interested in the behind-the-scenes and the production process of making a film. Zhiyu decided to pursue a career in the film industry. In 2020, she went to Pratt Institute for an MFA in 3D Animation. She not only learned 2D and 3D animation techniques, but also how to respect other’s work while critiquing, presenting, and expressing her creative ideas.