Synthetic Blue Kiʻi Kālai by Ze Zhou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Hao in Hoʻolālā Hana Noʻeau a me Hoʻokomo Hana Noʻeau Competition Category.

HaoHana Noʻeau· 2026

Synthetic Blue Kiʻi Kālai

by Ze Zhou

Client: Zoe Ze Zhou

A' Design Award Hao Winner in Hana Noʻeau 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 Kiʻi Kālai

He kiʻi kālai ʻo Synthetic Blue e like ke ʻano me ka pololia. Ua hana ʻia ke kiʻi kālai holoʻokoʻa mai nā mea ʻai kilika hoʻolei ʻia i hoʻihoʻi hou ʻia, i hoʻololi ʻia ke ʻano ma o ka wela a hoʻokomo mau ʻia i loko o ka resin. Ua hana ʻia ke ʻano dome ma o ke kaomi ʻana a me ka wela i hoʻomalu ʻia, e mālama ana i nā ʻano o ka ʻili e hoʻomanaʻo ana i nā ʻili olaola. Kau ka hana ma kahi kīʻaha resin pāpaʻu i hoʻopuni ʻia me ka lāʻau, e hōʻike ana i ka ʻili wai ʻālohilohi. Heluhelu mua ka poʻe nānā i ka mea he mea ola kai, a laila ʻike lākou i ka plastic i hoʻolei ʻia, he loli e huki ana i ka manaʻo i ka hopena o ka ʻōpala i ke ola o ke kai.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hao

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Synthetic Blue Kiʻi Kālai i ka A' Design Award Hao, he ʻike hoʻohanohano i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā maikaʻi e hoʻokō ana i nā koi ʻoihana a ʻoihana hana i manaʻo ʻia mai nā mea hoʻokumu i hana maikaʻi ʻia. Hōʻike nā lanakila Hao i ka mākau nui, ka loea kiʻekiʻe, ka ʻike akamai a me ka hiki hana noʻeau o ka poʻe i hana iā lākou. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Synthetic Blue Kiʻi Kālai he mea hoʻokumu i mahalo nui ʻia, hoʻohiwahiwa ʻia a aloha ʻia e pono a hou. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Hao e hoʻohui ana i nā hana maikaʻi loa o ka ʻoihana a loaʻa nā ʻano ʻenehana mākaukau i hui pū ʻia me ka ʻike hana a me ka makakoho. Mahalo ʻia ka hoʻolālā Synthetic Blue Kiʻi Kālai no kona nānā pono a ua hoʻolālā ʻia e hāʻawi i nā hoʻomaikaʻi ola e kōkua ai i ka hana ʻana i ka honua i wahi maikaʻi aku.

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