A Dundee TikTok star is making jewellery using bacteria from her own skin.
Design student Chloe Fitzpatrick is on a mission to showcase the beauty in bugs.
She has created ‘bacteria jewellery’ in collaboration with Dundee Uni's School of Life Sciences and the James Hutton Institute, to culture her own unique colours from bugs found on her body and in plants.
The 21-year-old has received over 20-million views on the video sharing app ‘TikTok’ where she has received global praise for her innovative design style.
Chloe is among hundreds of students exhibiting their work at the University’s Degree show which opens to the public this Saturday.
Inspired by the growing BioArt and Design movement, Chloe adds a living element to her work, creating her own pigments from bacteria.
She swabs the bugs from her body and plants and grows bacteria colonies.
She then chooses the coloured growths and multiplies them before sealing them in UV resin.
Chloe said, “The goal for this project is to help people acknowledge the hidden world of bacteria that surrounds us day-to-day and to reconnect with a part of nature that is not commonly thought of.
“I believe bacteria has great potential of becoming an environmentally friendly alternative to heavy chemical-based dyes and pigments, this is something I am excited about exploring in future projects.
“The micro and bacterial world has a lot of potential in sustainable material development, with a rich range of colours, shapes and forms that could inspire the next generation of artists and designers.
- Entry to the Degree Show can be found on Dundee University's webpage here.
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