Synthetic Blue ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ by Ze Zhou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱞᱟᱞᱤᱛ ᱠᱟᱞᱟ Competition Category.
ᱞᱚᱦᱟᱞᱟᱞᱤᱛ ᱠᱟᱞᱟ· 2026
Synthetic Blue ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ
by Ze Zhou
Client: Zoe Ze Zhou
A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱞᱟᱞᱤᱛ ᱠᱟᱞᱟ Category
- 4,564
- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #180954
The Design
About Synthetic Blue ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ
ᱥᱤᱱᱛᱮᱴᱤᱠ ᱵᱽᱞᱩ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱚᱠᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱡᱮᱞᱤᱯᱷᱤᱥ ᱞᱮᱠᱟ ᱧᱮᱞᱚᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱩᱨᱟᱹ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱛᱮ ᱧᱮᱞᱟᱣ ᱪᱟᱵᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱮᱰᱮ ᱜᱤᱰᱤ ᱯᱞᱟᱥᱴᱤᱠ ᱡᱚᱢᱟᱜ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱮᱱᱟᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱚᱠᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱞᱚᱞᱚ ᱛᱮ ᱱᱟᱶᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱨᱮᱡᱤᱱ ᱨᱮ ᱥᱟᱫᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱵᱚᱦᱟᱞ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱰᱚᱢ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱫᱚ ᱚᱛᱟᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱚᱢᱵᱷᱟᱹᱞᱟᱣ ᱞᱚᱞᱚ ᱦᱚᱛᱮᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱚᱠᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱡᱤᱭᱚᱱ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱪᱟᱢᱲᱟ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱪᱤᱱᱦᱟᱹ ᱠᱚ ᱵᱟᱧᱪᱟᱣ ᱠᱟᱫᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱟᱴ ᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱛᱮᱛᱟᱲ ᱨᱮᱡᱤᱱ ᱯᱟᱛᱨᱟ ᱨᱮ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱚᱠᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱟᱭᱱᱟ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱫᱟᱜ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱞᱮᱠᱟ ᱩᱫᱩᱜᱚᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱧᱮᱞᱤᱭᱟᱹ ᱠᱚ ᱢᱟᱲᱟᱝ ᱛᱮ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱚᱨᱭᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱡᱤᱭᱚᱱ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱞᱮᱠᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱧᱮᱞᱟ, ᱚᱱᱛᱮ ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ ᱛᱮ ᱮᱰᱮ ᱜᱤᱰᱤ ᱯᱞᱟᱥᱴᱤᱠ ᱠᱚ ᱩᱨᱩᱢᱟ, ᱟᱨ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱵᱚᱫᱚᱞ ᱦᱚᱛᱮᱛᱮ ᱫᱚᱨᱭᱟ ᱡᱤᱭᱚᱱ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱨᱮ ᱮᱰᱮ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱟᱥᱚᱨ ᱥᱮᱫ ᱫᱷᱮᱭᱟᱱ ᱦᱮᱡ ᱟᱭᱚᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ
Synthetic Blue ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Synthetic Blue ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
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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