Gill Hicks

I'm Gill Hicks and I am the subject of this incredible portrait, I think, mainly because of what has led me to being a double amputee, which I lost both of my legs in a bombing, a suicide bombing in London in 2005. But I think perhaps, it's more than the event itself. I think it's, for me, what the photographer and artist wanted to capture was really the story of everything that's happened since. I've never been captured like that before.

I'm always mentally busy and there's always something going on. And there was this capturing that I felt that Tony had actually just gone into my soul. And I've never seen that before because I look calm. I think there's a serenity about the picture. What I find extraordinary about capturing that serenity is that the picture was taken in an abandoned warehouse and there were rodents everywhere. And my little girl was there so I was worrying about what she doing. Is she picking up anything? I was so worried. And that I was laughing with Tony and everyone that was at the shoot. 'Cause I just said, "Actually, I'm the only person here not worried about rodents because I've got prosthetic legs so I could be walking anywhere."

And so I still find it, given that I now know the panic of the light fading and the smells and the potential bites from a rat or a mouse, that there was this moment of calm and he's just captured that. And that to me is perhaps what I've wanted to say back that I could never put words to, that I have found a peace within myself. And that peace within myself has come through not harbouring hatred or bitterness or seeking retribution. And that peace that I think Tony's captured absolutely is about the love that I received. So one of the things that I have noticed, and what I love about looking at the portrait is that it's borrowed a lot of the threads of my life, number one. And I've kept those threads in my life, number two. And one of the things that I smile about is that I used to wear all black in life, number one, but I love that those threads are still there. I'm still wearing black.

But I used to collect shoes. So for me, my new shoe obsession then became Converse. And so everything's Converse. I'm drawn to anything that's limited edition. Got to have the limited edition Converse. And, again, this lovely, I think, empowerment for me, that's what's been really important for me. So it's the fun and excitement of, yep, I wear Converse and here's my latest Converse and it just helps me keep going and push through the days that are harder than others. And I loved it.

One of the things that I got from the majority of the feedback of the portrait was that school kids were coming to see it, and the first thing they saw was Converse, and that was their connection. And I thought how wonderful that there are these little sort of moments of different language, of layers of language, of which people can enter into a picture. And that to me was one of the layers of language. So I loved it. I just loved it. What I first got fitted for my set of legs, I remember asking the consultant, "So could I be a lot taller than I was before?" And it's not encouraged, but I did manage to get quite a few inches of height.