Charlotte Miller, 24, of Diss, Norfolk, received worldwide recognition for her painting ‘Claiming’, which depicts a woman on public transport with her legs wide apart.
“I wanted to put forward a subverted, female-centred depiction of the phenomenon known as ‘manspreading’ – a term coined to describe men who spread their legs widely and encroach on the personal space of others,” she said.
Charlotte’s old tutors recently reached out to her to ask if she would like to take part in an exhibition they were organising within the iconic Ickworth House in Horringer.
She said that she took photos and videos of her painting on the day of the exhibition in April, then posted them online the following day.
“I then went to work, so I wasn’t really on my phone; I came home, and it had gotten very popular very quickly.
“My posts quickly amassed over 16 million views on various social media channels,” Charlotte said.
She then began receiving requests for prints of the piece from all over the world and has decided to quit her jobs in hospitality and childcare to pursue her passion full-time.
Charlotte said the work was “calling out everyday behaviours of men against women”.
Charlotte said: “I go to London quite a lot and sit on the Tube and just watch it.
“If I wanted to make myself comfortable like that, it would look like a really big statement.
“I just thought if it’s flipped, it will just show that’s what they do; if I do it, it’s not OK.”
Miller secured an Art Practice degree at University Studies at West Suffolk College in 2023.
Glenn Pickering, course leader of Art Practice at the college, said: “Charlotte’s story demonstrates how the knowledge and skills our students leave with can help them to make art with serious impact.”
‘Claiming’ is reaching people beyond the art world, having a real impact on societal issues.
“I’ve had a women’s rape survivor charity reach out to me to include my piece in their exhibition.
“I’ve had a lot of individual women messaging me just telling me how my painting has made them feel and how it’s actually helped them feel more confident,” she said.
Charlotte’s painting will be on display at Ickworth until the end of July.