"Zhou has a great liking for plants and animals because of their purity. Personally I believe that he prefers themes involving human nature. In this his ideas are in accord with Chinese tradition. To the Chinese literati, the macrocosm is itself a reproduction and amplification of the microcosm. This microcosm is in turn a creation of human kind." - Monica Dematte.

The eternal theme in Zhou's paintings is his free use of colors and keen interest in life. In his work Vase of Flower, the bold brush strokes broke the shackles of "form" on the artist's "intention" of expressing his emotions. The subjective colors themselves become an ode to freedom in life and artistic expression in imagism. The highlight of this work is how it expresses freedom and nonchalance without losing its rigor. It is also bold and frank without losing the perceptiveness of art.

Zhou's series of flower paintings are the product of an image within his mind. "The wild profusion of flowers sway with passion and seductiveness to convey an image where the charms of the blooms have become so exaggerated by their splendor as to become decadent." In his works, he drew upon the refinement and mysticism in traditional Chinese painting then imbued them with modern expressionism's tension-filled brush strokes, textures and powerful colors.