London-based animator/illustrator Yukai Du elevates a potentially banal TED-Ed lesson called “The Torturous History of the Treadmill” into a four-minute work of motion art with vigorous palette choices, unexpected framing and stripped down characters.

Illustration: Yukai Du
Animation: Yukai Du, Jiaqi Liu
Lesson: Conor Heffernan
Narration: Addison Anderson
Music: Cem Misirlioglu workplaywork.com