Zhou Tiehai was born in Shanghai in 1966 and pursued his studies at the Fine Arts College of the Shanghai University, from 1987 to 1989.
In 1998 he won the first prize of the Contemporary Chinese Art Award, (CCAA Association).
Zhou Tiehai conceptualizes his works and creates a blueprint on his computer before making them with the aid of an assistant, like Zhao Lin. He is primarily known for having appropriated the camel of the brand Camel and used it in his large format paintings.
He remains one of the pioneers in the recognition of Chinese art on the international scene and has had shows in the major cities of the world. Today Zhou Tiehai is currently the director of the Mingshen Art Museum in Shanghai.