Synthetic Blue منحوتة by Ze Zhou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 جائزة A' Design Award الحديدية in تصميم الفنون الجميلة والتركيبات الفنية Competition Category.

حديدالفنون الجميلة· 2026

Synthetic Blue منحوتة

by Ze Zhou

Client: Zoe Ze Zhou

جائزة A' Design Award الحديدية Winner in الفنون الجميلة Category

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Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180954

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Synthetic Blue منحوتة

"Synthetic Blue" منحوتة تشبه قنديل البحر، وهي مصنوعة بالكامل من أدوات بلاستيكية مستعملة يُعاد تدويرها، أُعيد تشكيلها حرارياً وثُبّتت بشكل دائم داخل الراتنج. تكوّنت هيئة القبة عبر الضغط والحرارة المتحكَّم بها، مع الحفاظ على ملامس سطحية تستحضر الأغشية الحيوية. يستقر العمل في حوض ضحل من الراتنج مُحاط بإطار خشبي، يوحي بسطح مائي عاكس. يقرأ المتلقي العمل في البداية ككائن بحري، ثم يدرك أنه بلاستيك مُهمَل، وهو تحوّل يلفت الانتباه إلى أثر النفايات على الحياة في المحيطات.

The Recognition

About the جائزة A' Design Award الحديدية

Synthetic Blue منحوتة هو فائز بجائزة A' Design Award الحديدية، وهي تقدير مرموق يُمنح للتصاميم الجيدة التي تلبّي المتطلبات المهنية والصناعية المنتظرة من الإبداعات حسنة التصميم. ويُظهر الفائزون بالحديدية مهارة كبيرة وتخصصًا عاليًا وفهمًا خبيرًا وقدرة إبداعية لدى صنّاعهم. ويُتوقع أن يكون Synthetic Blue منحوتة إبداعًا عالي التقدير ومحل إعجاب وحب، عمليًا ومبتكرًا. وهذا التصميم الفائز بجائزة A' Design Award الحديدية يدمج أفضل ممارسات القطاع، وله خصائص تقنية كفؤة ترتبط بالدراية والموهبة. ويحظى Synthetic Blue منحوتة بالاحترام لدقته، وقد صُمّم لتقديم تحسينات لجودة الحياة تساعد على جعل العالم مكانًا أفضل.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The sculpture is constructed entirely from reclaimed disposable plastic utensils that have been thermally reshaped and permanently embedded in resin.

The piece rests within a shallow resin basin framed in wood. Integrating material recycling, biomimetic morphology, and controlled thermoplastic manipulation, the work synthesizes sustainability, process-driven form, and ecological narrative into a cohesive sculptural object.
Dimensions & Packaging: The object is positioned within a shallow resin basin framed by wood, simulating a reflective water surface. This base establishes spatial context while stabilizing the structure.

The project merges material recycling, biomimetic morphology, and controlled thermoplastic manipulation into a single cohesive object.
Tags: Art，Sustainable Design，Environmental friendly，Product Design
Production Technology: The sculpture is constructed entirely from reclaimed disposable plastic utensils that have been thermally reshaped and embedded in resin. The dome structure is formed through compression and controlled heat processes, preserving surface textures that resemble biological membranes.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge was balancing structural stability with organic irregularity. Thermoplastic materials deform unpredictably under heat, requiring iterative experimentation to maintain translucency without
collapse.

Another challenge involved achieving water-like optical depth within a shallow resin base while preserving clarity and minimizing air bubbles.
Research: It explores thermoplastic reconfiguration and biomimetic form translation. Through experimental heating and compression methods, disposable plastic utensils were transformed into semi-organic structures while maintaining evidence of their original function.

The research investigates how material memory, translucency, and deformation can simulate marine morphology. The work also examines visual misidentification as a design strategy, translating ecological phenomena into object-scale form.
Inspiration: Sea turtles often mistake floating plastic for jellyfish, leading to fatal ingestion. Synthetic materials have infiltrated natural ecosystems.

Synthetic Blue emerges from this resemblance. Instead of symbolically depicting marine life, the project reshapes discarded plastic utensils into a form that mimics the fragile translucency of a jellyfish.

By transforming waste into a seductive marine apparition, the work exposes the paradox of artificial beauty and environmental harm.
Project Duration: Designed and fabricated in California, USA, 2024–2025.
Exhibited in 2025 at:
• Some Like It Hot, California Creative Arts, CA
• Pocket Gallery, Burbank, CA
Operation Flow: Viewers first encounter the sculpture as a delicate marine organism due to its translucent surface and aquatic coloration.

As proximity increases, the identity of disposable plastic materials becomes recognizable. This perceptual transition — from aesthetic admiration to material awareness — forms the primary interaction mechanism.

The work operates through visual deception and revelation, mirroring the ecological misrecognition that inspired it.
Patents: Zoe Ze Zhou
Team Members: Zoe Ze Zhou
Image Credits: Zoe Ze Zhou