Synthetic Blue Skulptur by Ze Zhou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award i Jern in Billedkunst- og Kunstinstallasjonsdesign Competition Category.
JernKunst· 2026
Synthetic Blue Skulptur
by Ze Zhou
Client: Zoe Ze Zhou
A' Design Award i Jern Winner in Kunst Category
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The Design
About Synthetic Blue Skulptur
Synthetic Blue er en skulptur som ligner en manet. Skulpturen er laget utelukkende av gjenvunnet engangsbestikk i plast, termisk omformet og permanent innstøpt i resin. Kuppelformen er skapt gjennom kompresjon og kontrollert varme, noe som bevarer overflateteksturer som minner om biologiske membraner. Verket hviler i et grunt resinbasseng innrammet i tre, som antyder en reflekterende vannoverflate. Betrakterne oppfatter først objektet som en marin organisme, før de gjenkjenner den kasserte plasten – et skifte som retter oppmerksomheten mot avfallets innvirkning på livet i havet.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award i Jern
Synthetic Blue Skulptur er vinner av A' Design Award i Jern, en prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles gode design som oppfyller de profesjonelle og industrielle kravene man forventer av veldesignede skaperverk. Jernvinnere viser stor dyktighet, høy spesialisering, ekspertforståelse og kreativ kapasitet hos skaperne. Synthetic Blue Skulptur forventes å være et høyt ansett, beundret og verdsatt skaperverk som er praktisk og nyskapende. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Jern, integrerer bransjens beste praksis og har kompetente tekniske egenskaper knyttet til kunnskap og talent. Synthetic Blue Skulptur respekteres for sin grundighet og er utformet for å gi forbedringer i livskvalitet som bidrar til å gjøre verden til et bedre sted.
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
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