A university student has inspired thousands with her “breath-taking” depiction of the lasting impact of sexual assault.
The artwork of 19-year-old Emma Krenzer went viral this week after she shared a project showing the different touches she has received from family, friends and “someone I told no”.
Krenzer, a student from Nebraska Wesleyan University, used a full-sized photo of her friend and several colours of paint to create the “map of human touch”.
“I made this project largely for myself to actually visualise the lasting impact that touch can have on an individual,” Krenzer told BuzzFeed News.
“Some people told me they burst into tears after viewing the piece and others thanked me repeatedly for creating it.
“I really don’t have the words to describe how it makes me feel,” the teenager added.
The picture, which Krenzer says she was inspired to finish after attending the Women’s March in Washington, has been shared by more than 125,000 people, while a further 300,000 have liked it.
Hundreds of people have reached out to Krenzer in support of the project, with some even asking her to create a series of works.
Following the success of the picture, the teenager now plans to sell prints of the project.
She tweeted: “Honestly I can probably die happy rn [right now] knowing how many people I have impacted through my art.”