Alice Potts is a British biomaterialist, artist, and researcher who became known for her biomaterialist art, most notably growing crystals out of human sweat, which were grown onto the pieces sweated on. She is also known for her biomaterial sequins and her crystals grown from human tears.
Alice Potts | |
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| Education | Norwich University of the Arts (BA), Royal College of Arts (MA) |
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Biography
editShe was born in Leicester,[1] and earned a BA from the Norwich University of the Arts in womenswear. She then went on to earn a MA at the Royal College of Arts, where she participated in a nine-month project called the Biodesign Challenge and first learned about biomaterials.[2] She served as a post-graduate scholar at the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation for one year.[3][1] During her time in Athens, she collected the sweat of two hundred Athenians.[4]
During her time at the Royal College of Arts, she became interested in sweat and began working with a bioengineering team at the Imperial College London to purify sweat to only the eccrine[4] and crystallize it.[5] She soon became known for her "Perspire" collection, where she utilizes the technique she experimented with to crystallize sweat on pieces of clothing[6] as part of a message of equality.[7] She has notably worked with baseball caps[8] and ballet shoes.[5][9][10]
She has also grown crystals from tears[11] and urine.[9]
She also created a series of 20 PPE face shields[12] out of food waste called "Dance Biodegradable Personal Protective Equipment (DBPPE) Post Covid Facemasks", which were exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria.[13] That same year, she collaborated with Mimco to create a series of twenty one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces utilizing sequins produced from biomaterials.[14][15] In 2025, she was featured in "Dirty Looks" at the Barbican Centre.[16]
References
edit- 1 2 "this pioneering bio-tech designer is turning sweat into fashion". Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ Magazine, CLOT (2018-11-26). "ALICE POTTS, ways to use sweat to create accessories". Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ "Alice Potts". www.onassis.org. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- 1 2 "Fashion Your Sweat". Mediamatic. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- 1 2 p-themes. "Sweat, Tears & Crystals: An Interview With Alice Potts". Dlish.us. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ "Perpsire | AlicePotts". AWRD (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ Murray, Georgia. "Alice Potts Turns Bodily Fluids Into Fashion". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ designboom, matthew burgos I. (2023-05-22). "on alice potts' baseball caps, human sweat crystallizes and mutates into frozen gems". designboom | architecture & design magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- 1 2 "The Crystals On These Ballet Shoes Are Actually Human Sweat". HuffPost. 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ Sierzputowski, Kate (2018-08-03). "Crystallized Ballet Slippers and Soccer Cleats by Alice Potts". Colossal. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ Pinnock, Olivia. "Sweat Crystals And Petal Sequins: Meet The Biomaterialist Growing Fashion In Lockdown". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ Carlson, Cajsa (2020-10-27). "Alice Potts makes biodegradable face shields from food waste". Dezeen. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ Burke, Cait (2021-01-19). "London-based artist Alice Potts' collaborative collection with Mimco uses bioplastic sequins made out of discarded materials". Fashion Journal. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ Burke, Cait (2021-01-14). "Mimco has teamed up with the National Gallery of Victoria to create a limited-edition jewellery collection". Fashion Journal. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ "An Innovative New Collaboration From MIMCO, Featuring Boundary-Pushing Sustainable Materials". thedesignfiles.net. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- ↑ Moroz, Sarah (2025-12-09). ""Dirty Looks" at the Barbican Art Gallery Is Intentionally Messy". Observer. Retrieved 2026-06-13.