Synthetic Blue Ère by Ze Zhou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ọnà Dídára àti Iṣẹ́ Ọnà Ìgbékalẹ̀ Competition Category.
IrinIṣẹ́ Ọnà Dídára· 2026
Synthetic Blue Ère
by Ze Zhou
Client: Zoe Ze Zhou
Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award Winner in Iṣẹ́ Ọnà Dídára Category
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The Design
About Synthetic Blue Ère
Synthetic Blue jẹ́ ère kan tí ó jọ ẹja jellyfish. Wọ́n ṣe ère náà pátápátá láti inú àwọn ohun èlò jíjẹun ike àlòkù tí a tún gbà padà, tí a fi ooru tún ṣe àtúnṣe rẹ̀ tí a sì fi sínú resin títí láé. Wọ́n ṣe ìrísí dòmù náà nípasẹ̀ ìfúnpọ̀ àti ooru tí a ṣàkóso, èyí tí ó pa àwọn àwọ̀ ojú rẹ̀ mọ́ tí ó rán ni létí àwọn awọ ara ẹ̀dá alààyè. Iṣẹ́ ọnà náà jókòó sínú àwokòtò resin tí kò jìn tí a fi igi yí ká, èyí tí ó dà bí ojú omi tí ń tan ìmọ́lẹ̀. Àwọn olùwòran máa ń kọ́kọ́ rí ohun náà gẹ́gẹ́ bí ẹ̀dá inú òkun, lẹ́yìn náà ni wọ́n á wá mọ̀ pé ike àlòkù ni, ìyípadà yìí sì ń fa àfiyèsí sí ipa tí ìdọ̀tí ní lórí ìwàláàyè inú òkun.
The Recognition
About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award
Synthetic Blue Ère jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ olókìkí tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe tó dára tí wọ́n pàdé àwọn ohun tí iṣẹ́ àti ilé-iṣẹ́ nílò tí a retí láti ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn ẹ̀dá tí a ṣàwòṣe dáradára. Àwọn olùborí Irin ń fi ìjáfáfá ńlá, ìmọ̀ pàtó gíga, òye ògbóǹtarìgì àti agbára ìṣẹ̀dá àwọn olùṣẹ̀dá wọn hàn. A retí pé Synthetic Blue Ère yóò jẹ́ ẹ̀dá tí a kà sí gidigidi, tí a gbóríyìn fún tí a sì nífẹ̀ẹ́, tó wúlò tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award yìí ń kó àwọn ọ̀nà tó dára jùlọ ilé-iṣẹ́ jọ, ó sì ní àwọn ànímọ́ ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ tó péye tí a so mọ́ ìmọ̀ ṣíṣe àti ẹ̀bùn. A bọ̀wọ̀ fún Synthetic Blue Ère nítorí ìfọ̀kànbalẹ̀ rẹ̀, a sì ṣàwòṣe rẹ̀ láti pèsè ìmúdára ìgbésí ayé tó ń ran ayé lọ́wọ́ láti di ibi tó dára jù.
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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