A 24-year-old artist whose feminist take on manspreading on the tube went viral has quit her jobs to become a full-time artist. Charlotte Miller, from Diss, Norfolk, created the painting titled Claiming, which depicts a woman on public transport with her legs wide apart, encroaching on the space of men beside her. The artwork was part of an exhibition at the National Trust’s Ickworth House in Suffolk, organized by her former college tutors.
Viral Success
Miller photographed her painting and posted it online in April, quickly gaining millions of views across social media platforms. She said the work was “calling out everyday behaviours of men against women” and aimed to subvert the phenomenon of manspreading. “I thought of literally pushing back, and then I thought of manspreading,” she explained. “If I wanted to make myself comfortable like that, it would look like a really big statement. If it’s flipped, it shows what they do.”
Decision to Go Full-Time
After the painting went viral, Miller received requests for prints from around the world. She decided to leave her jobs in hospitality and childcare to focus on creating and selling art. “I go to London quite a lot and sit on the Tube and just watch it,” she said. “I came home and it had gotten very popular very quickly. My posts quickly amassed over 16 million views.”
Miller, who earned an art practice degree from University Studies at West Suffolk College in 2023, credited a module on commercial creation for helping her navigate the art market. Glenn Pickering, her course leader, said: “Charlotte’s story demonstrates how the knowledge and skills our students leave with can help them to make art with serious impact.” The painting will be on display at Ickworth until the end of July.
