Zhou Tiehai

Zhou Tiehai (1966 Shanghai) is one of China's leading conceptual artists and also one of Shanghai's art stars. Zhou co-founded Shanghai's first international art fair, SH Contemporary, in 2007, assumed the directorship of the Minsheng Art Museum in 2010, and founded West Bund Art & Design in 2014.

Collection M+ Sigg, Hong Kong, © Zhou Tiehai

Zhou first gained notice in the mid 1990s, when he began poking fun at the absurdities lurking behind China's contemporary art scene. His art pieces are widely recognized all over the world. His most popular works are a series of "Joe Camel" paintings that show the former cigarette ad icon in a variety of poses. Zhou Tiehai also made a splash in the early to mid 1990s when he began creating fake magazine covers that portrayed him as a rising star in the art world. His early works suggested that who's hot and who's not in the art world had little to do with talent and more to do with connections and currying favor with a handful of collectors, curators and journalists. The artist lives and works in Shanghai. His artworks have been exhibited by the most prestigious institutions both at home and abroad. He also has a wide base of art collectors and is auctioned by the most famous auction houses (Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Artcurial...)