Alexa Zhang
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ABOUT ME / THE STORY BEHIND THE SPACES
A girl in searchof a placethat fits.
I was born in Beijing, grew up in Shenzhen, and found a feeling of home in Wuxi. Every move made me more attentive to places — and the people inside them.
This is the story of how that sensitivity became a way of creating.
Follow my story
Since 2008
a little curious. always becoming.
the school running track.
1
2
3
THE BEGINNING / A BODY-LED UNDERSTANDING
When a place speaks,I feel it.
A closed red running track was one of the first places that made me aware of space through my body. The feeling stayed with me long after class.
For years, I looked for corners that felt calm and safe. Eventually I began asking a different question: could I make that feeling for someone else?
GROWING UP / A FEW TURNING POINTS
Finding my feet. Making my way.
A story told in small beginnings, brave choices, and a lot of drawing.
little moments,
lasting changes.
3
YEARS OLD
A small gesture of care.
On my first day of kindergarten, I was calm enough to notice who wasn’t. I offered hugs and comfort to the children around me — a small beginning to a long habit of noticing people.
KINDERGARTEN / FROM MY FAMILY ARCHIVE
7
YEARS OLD
Finding my own rhythm.
My teachers encouraged me to skip a grade, and I became a class monitor. In the small world of a classroom, I began noticing how a seat, a little light, or a change in routine could shift a mood.
SCHOOL DAYS / FROM MY FAMILY ARCHIVE
6–16
YEARS OLD
Ten years of looking closer.
Drawing became a steady thread through changing places. Light, shadow, empty space, and the people around me slowly became a language I could understand — and a way to express what I felt.
A THREAD THROUGH THE YEARS / DRAWING & SKETCHING
10
YEARS OLD
Learning to travel on my own.
Unaccompanied flights, getting myself to school, and learning to cook taught me to stay resourceful in unfamiliar places. Independence grew through ordinary, repeated acts of looking after myself.
GROWING INDEPENDENCE / FROM MY FAMILY ARCHIVE
15
YEARS OLD
Choosing a new direction.
I wanted to keep studying science and working with my hands. When my school path no longer fit, a family conversation led to a big decision: continue my education in the United States.
A NEW CHAPTER / FROM MY FAMILY ARCHIVE
16
YEARS OLD
Art became a first language.
At first, language and cultural differences made life abroad feel lonely. Art helped me begin conversations and find friends. Creating became a bridge between being the new person and feeling part of a community.
LIFE IN NORTH CAROLINA / FINDING MY PEOPLE
17
YEARS OLD
Making room for other people.
Designing the Little Women set and leading Art Club gave that search a new direction: making spaces, telling stories, and inviting other people in. The girl looking for belonging was learning how to build it.
LITTLE WOMEN / SET PREPARATION & ART CLUB LEADERSHIP
HOW I MOVE THROUGH THE WORLD
Softness and strength can share a room.
Four qualities that keep showing up in the way I live and create.
Calm & steady
Pause. Understand. Find a way through. I usually begin with the next useful step.
Self-reliant
From solo flights to a new school abroad, I have learned to trust my judgment and look after myself.
Quietly creative
Long nights painting backstage are where I feel most focused. I love giving an idea a patient, practical form.
Warm, with
boundaries
I pay attention to other people’s feelings, while keeping the independence and boundaries that help me stay myself.
WHERE THE STORY GOES NEXT
I’m learning to buildwhat I used to look for.
A sense of belonging, made by hand.
Back to my world
© 2026 Alexa Zhang
alexatong137@gmail.com
Beijing · Wuxi · Shenzhen · North Carolina / Class of 2027
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