Synthetic Blue Ҳайкал by Ze Zhou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Ҷоизаи оҳании A' Design Award in Дизайни санъати зебо ва инсталлятсияи ҳунарӣ Competition Category.

ОҳанСанъати зебо· 2026

Synthetic Blue Ҳайкал

by Ze Zhou

Client: Zoe Ze Zhou

Ҷоизаи оҳании A' Design Award Winner in Санъати зебо 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 Ҳайкал

Кабуди Синтетикӣ ҳайкалест, ки ба медуза шабоҳат дорад. Ин ҳайкал пурра аз асбобҳои пластикии якдафъаинаи барқароршуда сохта шудааст, ки бо роҳи ҳароратӣ шакли нав гирифта, ба таври доимӣ дар қатрон ҷойгир карда шудаанд. Шакли гунбазӣ тавассути фишурдан ва гармии идорашаванда сохта мешавад ва бофтҳои сатҳиро, ки пардаҳои биологиро ба хотир меоранд, нигоҳ медорад. Асар дар ҳавзи камқаъри қатронӣ, ки бо чорчӯбаи чӯбӣ иҳота шудааст, ҷойгир аст ва сатҳи инъикоскунандаи обро ба хотир меорад. Тамошобинон аввал ин объектро ҳамчун организми баҳрӣ дарк мекунанд, сипас пластики партофташударо мешиносанд — ин тағйирот таваҷҷуҳро ба таъсири партовҳо ба ҳаёти уқёнус ҷалб мекунад.

The Recognition

About the Ҷоизаи оҳании A' Design Award

Synthetic Blue Ҳайкал ғолиби Ҷоизаи оҳании A' Design Award аст, ки эътирофи обрӯманд буда, ба тарҳҳои хуб дода мешавад, ки талаботи касбӣ ва саноатиро, ки аз офаридаҳои хуб тарҳрезишуда интизор меравад, иҷро мекунанд. Ғолибони оҳан маҳорати бузург, ихтисоси баланд, фаҳмиши коршиносона ва иқтидори эҷодии офаринандагони худро нишон медиҳанд. Интизор меравад, ки Synthetic Blue Ҳайкал офаридаи хеле қадршуда, мавриди таҳсин ва маҳбуб бошад, ки амалӣ ва навоварона аст. Ин тарҳи ғолиби Ҷоизаи оҳании A' Design Award беҳтарин амалияи соҳаро муттаҳид мекунад ва хусусиятҳои босалоҳияти фаннӣ дорад, ки бо донишҳои амалӣ ва истеъдод пайваст шудаанд. Synthetic Blue Ҳайкал барои диққаткорияш эҳтиром мешавад ва барои таъмини беҳбудиҳои сифати зиндагӣ, ки ба беҳтар кардани ҷаҳон кумак мекунанд, тарҳрезӣ шудааст.

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