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Zhigang Zhang's 'Illustrations From a Small Island' reveal the quirky side of Britain

When I see a tourist from a far-flung place taking a photograph of a nondescript Manchester street I've walked down a million times, I'm not surprised; this city must be fascinating to those who live in a completely different culture.

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Woman in red coat withdrawing cash from an ATM on a colourful street with turquoise shutters and flowering plants nearby

So it's interesting to see Zhigang Zhang's illustrations inspired by his own travels around the UK. A Chinese student in the final year of his post-graduate degree in Illustration at the Arts University Bournemouth, Zhigang loves to explore whenever he can, discovering new places and learning more of British culture.

"I like to capture the moments and narratives occurring around me as I am most interested in real life," he tells us. "Hand-drawn observational images are combined with the digital in depicting landscapes, architecture, animals, food and humans, both individually and in crowds."

His final-year project, Illustrations From a Small Island, is a zine that depicts his experiences of life in the UK. "It's a wordless take and unique perception on my observations of Bournemouth and London. They are all based on my real experiences and feelings," he says.

There's a clear love of people when you look through Zhigang's work as well as an appreciation for the often comical or quirky moments in life that we come across when wandering a town or city on foot. In one illustration we see a child shyly smiling on a bus. In another, people sitting on top of one of the Landseer's Lion Statues in Trafalgar Square. One features a woman barefoot, waiting to use the cash machine while another focuses on a beach scene with sandcastles, deckchairs and seagulls. It's a charming tribute to our small island.

Two figures with their backs to the viewer observe a framed illustration of tourists outside a red British telephone box on a turquoise wall
Illustration of a figure with a red face wearing a colourful striped jumper and patterned hat sitting on a blue bus seat next to a yellow window and olive-green overhead luggage compartment
Illustration showing a person's lower body wearing black shoes and trousers, holding a golden-brown dog against a vibrant blue background with red and geometric shapes
Person wearing colourful trainers and rain-splattered trousers standing on a wet wooden boardwalk
Illustrated scene of a man in formal attire standing at a blue monument surrounded by a koala, Father Christmas figure and diverse crowds, set against a vibrant green patterned hillside with colourful trees
Two insects perched on a wire against a vibrant green mesh background with yellow geometric patterns and wooden structural elements.
Colourful illustration of people climbing and sitting on one of Landseer's Lion Statues in Trafalgar Square, with buildings and a blue sky behind
Hikers in colourful clothing sit on a bench beside a path lined with vibrant green plants and purple flowers under a bright blue sky
Multiple figures in red swimwear scattered across a sandy beach, some swimming, playing with balls and toys, sitting on chairs, and lounging on the sand in various leisure activities
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