HANG ZHANG

In 1999, I was born in Chengdu, China.

I have been very fond of painting since I was six years old. I painted every day after lunch because I hated taking naps when I was a kid.

I came to the UK five years ago to study at Birmingham City University. My first exposure to freedom, the idea of rebellion began to infuse my soul.

Two years ago, I came to RCA. I became interested in politics and so I try to use metaphors in my projects.

Now, I am a rebel.

"Public space must be as free and abundant as the air we breathe."

Regimes are constantly changing, and so are the laws. But public spaces will persist, and designers should give the public the freedom to explore how the space is used.

My project seeks to re-imagine the public realm in the Beacon Shopping Centre in Eastbourne as not only a space to bring people together, but also to accommodate moments of solitude, spaces for retreat from media overload, and for safety when one feels anxious.