Zhou Zhaokan (1938) was born in Chaoyang, Guangdong Province. In 1956, he graduated from the Shanghai Electronic Equipment Institute and went to work in a factory. After 1964, he worked in the art section of the Anhui Daily (安徽日报, Anhui ribao), the creative research office of the Anhui Provincial Cultural Office and with the editorial board of the journal Fine Arts (美术, Meishu). He now works for the Central Committee of the Chinese Democratic League (中国民主同盟), one of the small political parties in the PRC.

Although Zhou excels in drawing, his propaganda designs have been singled out for awards.