According to Turnbull, Zhou's comprehensive body of work explores an array of important themes - such as identity and belonging, connections between people and the land, and the continuing renewal of ancient cultures in today's world.

"I grew up in China, spent years with the aboriginal Australians, and was once educated in Australia for a postgraduate program. Something cross-cultural has been internalized and should be embodied in my paintings," says Zhou.

His journals and photo albums are piled high in his studio in Melbourne, which help him recall his countless stories with the aborigines.

Eager to show Australian mainstream society what he has witnessed over the past three decades, Zhou is writing a book that records his firsthand experience of aboriginal communities and is planning to film a documentary based on the book.

"Anyway, I am a painter, not a scholar or a storyteller - but I suppose I do have lots of stories to tell," says Zhou. "What I really wanted to pursue was the ability to express myself in my paintings in an original way that derives exclusively from my own experiences."