Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel's crystal-covered image of exhausted medical worker sends powerful message

The sparkling image on her Instagram has gained such a reaction that it has inspired a series

Sara Shakeel's powerful image has been shared thousands of times online. Sara Shakeel / Instagram

Some images are so powerful, they make you stop in your tracks.

And when Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel shared her latest work on Instagram, that is exactly what happened for thousands of her followers.

Shakeel is known for her crystal art, adding a shimmering layer to everyday pictures and items. And her latest image has really struck a chord amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The picture shows an exhausted medical worker, sat with his head bowed in a hospital waiting room. His blue scrubs and personal protective equipment are covered with Shakeel’s trademark crystals, making him shine.

“So I posted this as a story, and after a while, I was bombarded with messages by all of you asking me to post this image ... so it could be shared with your loved ones working in the healthcare community,” Shakeel said, posting the image on her Instagram page. “But now I have a better idea.

“For all those who know a fellow healthcare member, or is one, please send me your images [and] pictures and give me the honour of creating sparkling artworks out of you all!” said Shakeel.

“Though I personally cannot be a part of the healthcare community, I would love to contribute as much as I can with whatever ‘art’ I have.”

Shakeel has asked people to send their pictures, or tag her in their posts and let her know what they are doing "for us and for mankind together".

The artist has already got to work on transforming a number of pictures of doctors, nurses and other frontline workers around the world, sharing the finished images on her Instagram Stories.

Shakeel, who is based in Pakistan, has amassed almost a million Instagram followers in the three years since she began posting her crystal-encrusted images.

She works with both physical and digital art, having taught herself how to use Photoshop after initially training to work as a dentist.

Shakeel has since worked with the likes of Chance the Rapper and Huda Beauty, and created artworks using images of many prominent people, including fellow Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai: