Personal
Paul Wicks is a survivor, an artist and an optimist.
In 2002 Paul fell ill with debilitating headaches. After being sent home with a diagnosis of migraines, Paul collapsed at home and woke up in hospital two days later.
Seemingly ‘OK’, Paul was about to be sent home when he suffered the first of three strokes. Weeks of tests, and the intervention of an eye specialist, revealed that he had swelling of the brain caused by a virus and was suffering from encephalitis.
For fourteen months Paul was paralysed and lost much of his sight and cognitive function. He listened to doctors tell him they were uncertain how much he would recover and that he would never work again. But even in those early and dark days, Paul decided he was going beat what was being thrown at him.
Today Paul is an award-winning photographer and artist, living in Kent in the UK. He has exhibited in prestigious venues such as the Saatchi Galleries London, Candid Arts London, Nucleus Arts and other galleries throughout the UK. His work often captures the emotions, symptoms, stages of brain damage and isolation felt by suffers and acts as window for others to understand how brain injury feels.
He works closely with the Encephalitis Society, a charity supporting sufferers of this rarely known disease by helping to bring awareness to the 80% of the world who have never heard of it.
Professional
As a mature student studying Photography at Maidstone Adult Education Centre in Kent, Paul gained an A grade in Photography with the ASA examining board, under the tutelage of John-Christian Jacques and Keith Turnbull.
In September 2015 Paul started studying for a degree in BA Photography under the guidance of such talents as Heike Lowenstein, Dr Francis Summers, Chris Coekin & Dr Jason Dee & received a first in Photography BA (HONS)
Within the first year he joined the staff as a student representative & ambassador; mentoring & interviewing prospective students. He gives talks and runs workshops on behalf of the university to school children and carries out public speaking to raise awareness of the brain condition encephalitis.
In 2016 Paul exhibited 2 pieces of work at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery London; as part of the ‘Show you know’ exhibition visualising the plight of sufferers of Encephalitis
In 2019 Paul received a Masters distinction at UCA in Photography cementing his passion once and for all.
He has also exhibited and sold Art at various Kent Galleries and has been placed in the top ten of National Photographic Competitions and had the backing of organisations such as the NHS, Kent County Council, the Encephalitis Society and various agencies on a project involving raising the profile of disabled people.
Paul now teaches photography as the Study Program Coordinator at MidKent College Maidstone, working alongside a talented group of staff within creative media.