Photo by V. Elizabeth Turk
Zhou Peng was born in Shanghai, China, in 1983. He began formal training in drawing at the age of thirteen, studied Visual Art of Chinese Traditional Theatre at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and obtained an M.F.A. in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
With over 20 years of experience in photography and art, Zhou believes that the unification of our world is an irreversible trend. He explores the fusion of multiple cultural concepts, leading to new ways of thinking and seeing. Zhou’s artwork reflects his deep understanding of ancient Chinese philosophical concepts such as Relativity, Change, and Harmony, while skillfully balancing the aesthetics of both Western and Chinese art traditions.
Zhou exhibits his work internationally and has received numerous accolades, including Gold, Silver, and Bronze photography awards, as well as the Best of Best Photographer title. His artworks are held in the collections of the Swatch Art Peace Hotel, SCAD (Atlanta & Lacoste), and private collectors.
In the meantime, Zhou has also worked as an advertising photographer, collaborating with top-tier creative agencies and shooting campaigns for major Fortune Global 500 companies. He has been awarded the titles of Advertising Photographer of the Year and has won some of the most prestigious creative advertising awards, such as ADFEST, THE ONE SHOW, and LONGXI AWARDS. Zhou also received the FRPS distinction, the highest level of recognition from The Royal Photographic Society – one of the world’s oldest photographic societies, founded in 1853.
Zhou first learned about NFTs in 2019 from the founder of a startup crypto art platform and was immediately drawn to this groundbreaking art form. His curiosity led him to explore topics such as non-fungible tokens, cryptocurrency, AI, blockchain, and Web3. This journey was not without challenges, especially since he was unfamiliar with even basic concepts like Web2. However, after dedicating over a year to understanding these technologies, Zhou made the resolute decision to shift his artistic focus from traditional mediums to crypto art.
Beyond crypto art, Zhou developed a keen interest in the metaverse, which he recognized as an exciting new frontier for future life. At the beginning of 2025, he committed to sharing his insights and contributing to metaverses on X.
Since 2022, Zhou has been living and working in Atlanta.
Collections
Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai, China
Savannah College of Art and Design Lacoste, France
Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, USA
Exhibitions
2024
Shanghai Energy Zurich Art Weekend Zürich, Switzerland
Impressions Shanghai Photofairs Shanghai, China
The Creative Vitality Summit: Media Under Dystopia (MUD Foundation) Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Colorado
Georgia Photography Juried Exhibition Marietta Cobb Museum of Art Atlanta, Georgia, USA
2023
Demolition: Peng Zhou Tempus Projects Tampa, Florida
2022
Annual Art Auction The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia Atlanta, Georgia, USA
2020
ForeMost: Photography World's Emerging Stars Exhibition Okinawa, Japan
2019
HONOR ROLL Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Budapest International Foto Awards Winners Exhibition Budapest, Hungary
Aura and Invention: Alternative Processes in Contemporary Photography Atlanta & Savannah, Georgia, USA
Choice, Chance & Circumstance Atlanta, Georgia, USA
2013
HAPPY-GIVE ME 5 Young Talents Project Shanghai, China
Awards
GOLD
Tokyo International Foto Awards
Budapest International Foto Awards
Moscow International Foto Awards
Creative Communication Award
SILVER
ADFEST
LONGXI AWARDS
UMBRA International Photography Awards
Neutral Density Photography Awards
BRONZE
International Photography Awards
Nominee & Shortlist
Fine Art Photography Awards
London International Creative Competition
Honorable Mention
THE ONE SHOW
LONGXI AWARDS
Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3)
Monochrome Photography Awards
Chromatic Photography Awards
Annual Photography Awards
Fellowship
FRPS, The Royal Photographic Society