Charlie Craggs is blossoming—mirroring the vibrant roses that welcome you at the entrance of her north London home. A few months after transformational surgery, which brought with it confidence in body and mind, Charlie has received numerous awards, developed a strong following and built a movement. A brazen force who wishes to right the wrongs of the transphobia and abuse she suffered throughout her formative years, she set about creating the project Nail Transphobia. Via the simple rituals of both nail painting and conversation, Charlie is singlehandedly educating, informing, and collecting allies along the way.

Nail Transphobia began 5 years ago, initially as a final year university project as she finished her studies at Central St Martins, but has since grown into a profound force for change. Positioning herself in museums and galleries, including the likes of Tate Britain and the V&A, Charlie invites people to sit with her as she paints their nails and initiates conversation with, as she puts it, “a real life trans person.” Charlie’s primary hope is to gain an audience with people who are cis-gendered (those born as the gender they present), in order to gain allies for the trans community, which continues to experience profound violence.

Alongside the conversational aspect of the project, the element of physical touch provides an ability to form intimacy, a bond, a tactile dimension, which in itself holds a power of understanding. As Charlie and I sit in her bedroom, we discuss how difficult it is to hate someone or allow others to project hate if you’ve been held by a potential victim in the palm of their hands.

Charlie also explains the importance of the nail art itself being a conversation starter. She wants people to notice those who’ve had their nails painted, to carry with them a small part of her activism, and for that to engage an ongoing interaction about their experience meeting a transgender person.

As if this powerful action wasn’t enough, Charlie has recently launched her own range of nail decals within a campaign to claim the lobster emoji as a permanent symbol for the trans community. Charlie explains that there is currently no trans flag emoji, and she seeks to highlight the use and recognition of this particular symbol.

Charlie is brave. She’s putting herself on the front line. She says her trans friends always question why she puts herself in such a personal and vulnerable position, but she explains that it’s a necessary sacrifice to provoke change. Her deep-rooted fight and vision radiate clearly, despite the deceptive simplicity of her activism. The takeaway from Nail Transphobia is “talk to me, see me.” Painted nails are seldom a subtle statement—and neither is Charlie, or her message.