Press Release
Ze Zhou Is Honored with the A' Design Award for Synthetic Blue Conceptual Sustainable Design in Fine Arts and Art Installation Design
Ze Zhou honored for fine arts and art installation design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 15, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the A' Design Award in the Fine Arts and Art Installation Design category for Synthetic Blue Conceptual Sustainable Design by Ze Zhou, designed for Zoe Ze Zhou. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Synthetic Blue Conceptual Sustainable Design
Synthetic Blue is a sculpture that resembles a jellyfish. The sculpture is made entirely from reclaimed disposable plastic utensils, thermally reshaped and permanently embedded in resin. The dome form is created through compression and controlled heat, preserving surface textures that recall biological membranes. The piece rests in a shallow resin basin framed in wood, which suggests a reflective water surface. Viewers first read the object as a marine organism, then recognize the discarded plastic, a shift that draws attention to the effect of waste on ocean life.
Award Record
Ze Zhou is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Fine Arts and Art Installation Design Award
The A' Fine-Art Design Award is an international fine-art design competition recognizing best fine-art works by leading fine-art artists and creators worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to artists, painters, sculptors and ceramicists from all countries. Typical entries include sculptures, paintings, installations, photographs, drawings and mixed media works. The awarded art designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/fine-art
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/180954
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180954
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180954
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/379867
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Synthetic Blue Conceptual Sustainable Design
- Function
- Conceptual Sustainable Design
- Category
- Fine Arts and Art Installation Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Arts
- Colors
- Light Gray, Sienna, Silver, Slate Gray and Light Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Zoe Ze Zhou
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Ze Zhou
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180954
Credits
- Team
- Zoe Ze Zhou
- Image Credits
- Zoe Ze Zhou
Design Details
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Realization and 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.
- Operation and Interaction
- 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.
- Project Duration and Location
- Designed and fabricated in California, USA, 2024–2025. Exhibited in 2025 at: • Some Like It Hot, California Creative Arts, CA • Pocket Gallery, Burbank, CA
- Specifications
- 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.
- Keywords
- Art，Sustainable Design，Environmental friendly，Product Design
