Synthetic Blue Ihe ọkpụkpụ nka by Ze Zhou

Synthetic Blue Ihe ọkpụkpụ nka by Ze Zhou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Igwe in Nhazi Nkà Mma na Nkwụnye Nkà Competition Category.

IgweNkà Mma· 2026

Synthetic Blue Ihe ọkpụkpụ nka

by Ze Zhou

Client: Zoe Ze Zhou

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Igwe Winner in Nkà Mma Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Synthetic Blue Ihe ọkpụkpụ nka

Synthetic Blue bụ ihe ọkpụkpụ nka nke yiri jellyfish. E ji ngwa oriri rọba ndị a tụfuru atụfu mee ihe ọkpụkpụ a kpamkpam, nke e ji okpomọkụ megharịa ma jiri resin kwụsie ya ike ebighị ebi. E kere ụdị dome ahụ site na mkpakọba na okpomọkụ a na-achịkwa achịkwa, na-echekwa udidi elu ya nke na-echetara akpụkpọ anụ ihe ndị dị ndụ. Ihe nka a na-adabere n'ime efere resin na-emighị emi nke e ji osisi gbaa gburugburu, nke na-egosi elu mmiri na-egbuke egbuke. Ndị na-ele ya anya na-ebu ụzọ hụ ihe ahụ dị ka ihe dị ndụ nke oke osimiri, ma emesịa ha achọpụta rọba ndị a tụfuru atụfu, mgbanwe nke na-adọta uche gaa na mmetụta nke ihe mkpofu na ndụ ihe ndị bi n'oke osimiri.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Igwe

Synthetic Blue Ihe ọkpụkpụ nka meriri A' Design Award nke Igwe, nnabata dị ugwu e nyere design ndị dị mma nke na-emezu ihe ndị a chọrọ n'ọrụ na ụlọ ọrụ nke a na-atụ anya n'ihe e kere eke ndị e mere nke ọma. Ndị meriri na Igwe na-egosi nka buru ibu, ọkachamara dị elu, nghọta ọkachamara na ikike imepụta nke ndị kere ha. A na-atụ anya na Synthetic Blue Ihe ọkpụkpụ nka ga-abụ ihe e kere eke a na-asọpụrụ nke ukwuu, a na-eto na a hụrụ n'anya nke bụ ihe bara uru ma dị ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Igwe na-ejikọta ụzọ kacha mma nke ụlọ ọrụ ma nwee àgwà teknụzụ kwesịrị ekwesị jikọtara na ihe ọmụma na talent. A na-asọpụrụ Synthetic Blue Ihe ọkpụkpụ nka maka nlezianya ya ma e mere ya ka ọ nye mmeziwanye ndụ nke na-enyere aka ime ka ụwa bụrụ ebe ka mma.

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