Hongtao Zhou is a Shanghai Oriental Scholar Distinguished Professor and Director of Innovation Field at the College of Design and Innovation of Tongji University in Shanghai (QS world ranking 14th in Art and Design). His research, practice and teaching areas include Contemporary Sculpture & Installation, Design Studios, Architecture, Exhibition Design and Furniture Design & Fabrication.
Hongtao holds a PhD from Purdue University and a MFA from University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a Guest Curator at Milwaukee Art Museum, Director of the Haigo and Irene Shen Architecture Gallery of University of Hawaii-Manoa, Hawaii Woodguild Show Jury, China Red Star Design Award Jury, Scientific Committee of Directors China at Legno Arredo Training Centre-Permanent Collection SaloneSatellite and Executive Member and Curator of the National Association of Chinese Artists in American Academia. He has lectured at New York Design Week, MIT, Peking University, Tsinghua University, China Academy of Fine Art and Design Shanghai.
Hongtao has exhibited nationally & internationally including Centre Pompidou, Venice Biennale, Milan Triennial, Gwangju Design Biennale, National Museum of China, Milwaukee Art Museum, National Art Gallery of Bangladesh, Chazen Museum of Art, Indiana State Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum in Beijing and Taiwan Design Center. His work are in permanent collection by Centre Pompidou, the University of Virginia, UC Berkeley Art Museum and Guan Shanyue Art Museum the Prominent National Art Museum of China. He published work and research in Interior Design, Interni, Design Bureau, Transmaterial, Metropolis, American Craft, Artdaily, Zhuangshi Magazine, Modern Weekly and Huffington Post. Hongtao is a winner of the Silver Medal at the International Snow Sculpture Competition in Quebec, China National Art Fund, the First Place of Hawaii Woodshow, Madison Art Commission BLINK Grant, Artist of Hawaii Award, Violette Wong Hu Award, China Top Ten Prominent Youth Design Award Finalist by Dragon Design Foundation of China, Headlands Art Center Fellowship Award, Vermont Studio Center Fellowship Award and the First Place Award of Design Emphasis, International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta.
