BIOGRAPHY

Simon Harsent’s career has spanned three continents over a thirty-year period. Born in England he began his career in London before moving to Australia in 1987 where he enjoyed a successful career before moving to New York in 1997. In 2017 after twenty years in NY Harsent relocated back to Sydney.

Harsent’s work has been recognized at numerous award shows around the world including American Photography, Graphis, Communication Arts, PDN, D&AD, Head On Portrait and Landscape awards and the National Photographic Portrait Prize. He has had over 10 solo exhibitions and has participated in over 20 group exhibitions. His work for ACON is held is held in the permanent collection of both the power House Museum and the QLD Art Gallery.

In 2009 Harsent’s first monograph Melt portrait of an Iceberg was published to critical acclaim. reinforced by it’s inclusion in the Photo District News (PDN) yearly Best of Annual and the prestigious D&AD annual. 

In 2011 Simon collaborated with his father, the Poet David Harsent, on a series called Into the Abyss, which was later exhibited at the Sydney Opera House. Late 2020 saw the publication their latest collaboration Salt Moon with Guillemot Press in the UK.

SOLO SHOWS

2018 The Horizon Leans Forward, Hyatt Regency, Sydney, Australia.

2016 GBH: The Special Group Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2015 Melt: The Black Eye Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2014 Melt: Edmund Pearce Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

2013 The Beautiful Game, The Black Eye Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2012 Into the Abyss, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia.

2012 Melt: Alison Milne Gallery Toronto, Canada.

2010 Melt: Saatchi and Saatchi Sydney, Sydney, Australia

2009 Melt: The Australian Center for Photography, Sydney, Australia

2009 Melt: Oliver Gordon Gallery Toronto, Canada

2001 Untitled Nudes, Sandra Bryon Gallery, Sydney, Australia

SELECTED GROUP SHOWS

2023 Beyond The Shadow of the Ship, Three Highgate, London UK

2017 POOL IX, The Special Group Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2017 CDMX Mexico City, Mexico.

2016 C40 Mayors Summit Paris, France 

2016 Fables of Change, Minsk, Belarus.

2015 COP21 Environmental Photography Exhibition, Paris, France

2015 Dwelling 107 Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2015 50/Fifty, The Black Eye Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2014 Astray, Chasm Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, USA

2014 The Naked and the Nude, Black Eye Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2013 FABLES OF CHANGE PhotoVisa, The Krasnodar Institute of Contemporary Art (KISI) Russia

2013 The POOL Collective Redux, The Black Eye Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2013 Private View, Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney, Australia.

2013 National Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, Australia.

2012 National Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, Australia.

2012 Blow Up, Hazelhurst Regional Art Gallery NSW, Australia

2011 Blow Up Fleet Step Botanical Gardens, Sydney, Australia

2011 Images from Adland The Australian Center for Photography

2009 Px3 Essence of Water Espace Dupon Paris, France

2009 Px3 Essence of Water Farmani Gallery, New York, USA

2008 Gallery SAND, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2008 The Big Picture, Oliver Gordon Gallery, Toronto, Canada

2008 IPA Award Best in Show Traveling Exhibition

2007 IPA Award Best in Show Traveling Exhibition

2006 The Female Form, Bryon McMahon Gallery Sydney, Australia

2006 Olive Cotton Award, Tweed River Art Gallery, Australia

1989 Street Kids, Town Hall, Sydney, Australia

SELECTED AWARDS

2024 Head On Landscape Award - Finalist

2024 Head On Portrait Award - Finalist

2023 Olive Cotton Portrait Award / Selected Finalist

2022 AWARD Award Silver Pencil NRMA Dog

2022 AWARD Award Silver Pencil NRMA House

2022 AWARD Award Silver Pencil NRMA Girl

2022 AWARD Award Bronze Pencil Mood Tea

2022 D&AD Wooden Pencil Garvan Institute

2022 AdFest 2 x Gold 1x SilverAwards 3 x Bronze Garvan Institute

2022 One Show Asia 2x Silver 2x Bronze Awards Garvan Institute

2022 LIA Grand LIA Garvan Institute

2022 LIA Gold Award Garvan Institute

2021 Head On Portrait Award - Finalist

2021 Head On Landscape Award - Finalist

2021 AI-AP American Photography 37

2020 Head On Landscape Award - Finalist

2019 Head On Portrait Award - Finalist

2019 Communication Arts Photography Annual

2019 National Photographic Portrait Prize - Finalist

2018 Head On Festival Landscape Prize - Second Place.

2018 The Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize - Finalist

2017 AWARD Awards Bronze Pencil for Directing OPSM TV Commercial

2017 AWARD Awards Bronze Pencil for Commercials over 30 Sec OPSM

2017 Adfest New Director Bronze award for OPSM

2016 International Photography Awards/ First place fine art Still life

2016 Cannes International Advertising Awards, Bronze Lion for Fainted Clasp / Design/Film

2016 Cannes International Advertising Awards, Bronze Lion for Fainted Clasp / Design/Copywriting

2016 Archives 200 Best Advertising Photographers

2016 Communication Arts Photography Annual

2016 Head On Portrait Award - Finalist

2016 AWARD Awards Bronze Pencil for Tiger Bars Uncage your Tiger Campaign

2016 AWARD Awards Bronze Pencil for Glassons Ring of Fire Single

2015 Communication Arts Photography

2014 PDN Photo annual for The Beautiful Game

2014 PDN Photo annual for RTA Fatigue Campaign

2013 PDN Photo annual

2013 National Photographic Portrait Prize- Finalist

2012 AWARD Awards Bronze award for The Ship Song Project

2012 Art Directors Club of NY Silver Award The Ship song

2012 Art Directors Club of NY Bronze Award Schweppes

2012 PDN Photo annual for Schweppes

2012 D&AD in Book for Blow Up

2012 Archive 200 Best Advertising Photographers

2012 National Photographic Portrait Prize - Finalist

2012 Communication Arts Photography Annual

2011 International Photography Awards / 3rd Place / Nudes

2011 AWARD Awards Silver Award WWF Fragile Beauty Campaign

2011 AWARD Awards Bronze Award WWF Fragile Beauty Single

2011 D&AD In the Book WWF Fragile Beauty Icefields

2011 Adfest Bronze Lotus for Fragile Beauty Campaign

2011 New York Photo Festival Honorable Mention Advertising Series WWF Ghosts

2011 PDN Photo annual Awarded Advertising WWF Icefields Campaign

2011 Clio Awards Silver Award for WWF Icefields

2011 Clio Awards Silver Award for WWF Ocean

2011 Clio Awards Silver Award for WWF Rainforest

2011 One Show Awards Honorable Mention Advertising Series for WWF Fragile Beauty

2010 Campaign Photo Awards London - Finalist

2010 International Photography Awards / 1st Place / Nature

2010 International Photography Awards / 2nd Place / Advertising other

2010 Caxton Awards / Best use of Photography / WWF Fragile Beauty for Leo Burnett Advertising

2010 PDN Photo Annual Awarded / Advertising WWF Ghosts Campaign

2010 PND Photo Annual Awarded / Books Melt Portrait of an Iceberg

2010 Australian Creative’s Hotshop Photographer of the year

2010 D&AD / WWF Ghosts Campaign in the Book

2010 D&AD / Melt Portrait of an Iceberg in the Book

2010 Archives 200 Best Photographers

2009 AWARD Awards / Bronze Award / WWF Ghosts Eagle

2009 AWARD Awards / Bronze Award / WWF Ghosts Tigers

2009 AWARD Awards / Bronze Award / WWF Ghosts Gorilla

2009 AWARD Awards / Silver Award / WWF Ghosts Penguins

2009 AWARD Awards / Silver Award / WWF Ghosts Campaign

2009 MADC / Silver Award / Victorian Tourism / Goldfields

2009 MADC / Silver Award / Victorian Tourism / Dandenongs

2009 PX3 Prix De La Photographie Paris Water Competition Honorable Mention

2009 Selected for Px3′s Water Exhibition

2009 Communication Arts Advertising Annual / Old English Euro RSCG Worldwide

2009 One show Awards Merit Award for Old English

2009 International Photography Awards / 2nd Place Advertising other Category

2009 PDN Photography Annual / Finalist

2008 Graphis Gold Selected for Publication for the Graphis Photography Annual

2008 MADC Silver Award for Victorian Tourism

2008 Photographer of the Year at The Institute of Advertising Singapore Hall of Fame Awards

2008 3 Honorable Mention Recipients of PX3 Competition

2008 PDN Photo Annual

2008 PDN Photography Annual / Finalist

2008 International Photography Awards / Waterscapes 1st Place

2008 International Photography Awards / Advertising Other 3rd Place

2008 International Photography Awards / Best in Show Exhibition

2007 International Photography Awards / Fine Art Landscape 2nd Prize

2007 International Photography Awards / Fine Art Landscapes 3rd Prize

2007 International Photography Awards / Best in Show Exhibition

2007 International Photography Awards / 8 Honorable Mentions

2006 Olive Cotton Portrait Award / Selected Finalist

2004 Cannes International / Bronze / Stolli Vodka / Publicis NY

2004 Cannes International / Bronze / Vespa / Publicis NY

2003 Anthena Awards Grand Anthena / New York Times / Bozell

2002 Anthena Awards Grand Anthena / New York Times / Bozell

2002 PDN Photography Annual / Finalist

2000 ADDYS NY / Gold / /New York Times / Bozell

2000 Cannes International / Gold / New York Times / Bozell

1999 ADDYS National / Gold / New York Times / Bozell

1999 New York Festivals / Gold / New York Times / Bozel

1998 Cannes International / Bronze / Toyota / Saatchi’s

Association of Photographers / Finalist / Club 21

Association of Photographers / Merit / Personal work

Association of Photographers / Judges choice / Personal work

Association of Photographers / Finalist / Personal work

1994 Cannes International / Grand Prix / Kadu / Andromeda

1994 D&AD / Silver Nomination / Kadu / Andromeda

1994 D&AD / Finalist / Kadu / Andromedia

1994 London International / Gold / Kadu / Andromeda

1994 One Show / Gold / Richter / Cosmos

1994 One Show / Finalist / Baygon / Batey Ads

1993 Cannes International / Silver / Richter / Cosmos

 PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

The Power House Museum Sydney, Australia

Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane, Australia

BOOKS

Salt Moon

The Tears of Hinehukatere

Melt Portrait of an Iceberg

GBH (Exhibition catalogue)