Simon Harsent is an internationally acclaimed photographer whose career spans more than three decades across three continents. Born in England, he began his career in London before relocating to Australia, and in 1997 moved to New York, where he lived and worked for 20 years while continuing to undertake commissioned work in Australia.
During his time in New York, Harsent co-founded The POOL Collective with Sean Izzard, a Sydney-based photographers’ collective dedicated to supporting and mentoring emerging talent. In 2010 they also established the POOL Grant, an initiative providing financial support, exhibition funding, and mentorship to early-career, photo-based artists, enabling them to realise a solo exhibition.
At the core of Harsent’s practice is an interest in people, identity, and the paths we take in life. This is reflected across his portrait, film, and landscape work. His portrait photography and film focus on life’s diverse characters, favouring quiet, unguarded moments and approaching each subject with consistency, empathy, and respect, allowing them to be seen on equal terms regardless of background or circumstance. His personal work explores where our choices lead, using this idea as a recurring metaphor in projects such as Melt: Portrait of an Iceberg, GBH, The Assumption of Choice, and his current long-term project Immigrant.
In 2011, Australian Creative recognised Harsent as one of the most influential figures in advertising photography, naming him in its Power 20 issue.
Harsent returned to Sydney in 2017, where he continues to work across commercial, and personal projects. His photography has been recognised by numerous international and national awards bodies, including American Photography, Graphis, Communication Arts, PDN, D&AD, London International Awards, International Photography Awards, New York Festivals, ADC New York, Head On Photo Festival, the National Photographic Portrait Prize, and the Olive Cotton Award.
He has held over ten solo exhibitions and participated in more than twenty group exhibitions. His work is represented in both private and public collections, notably with his work for ACON held in the permanent collections of the Powerhouse Museum and the Queensland Art Gallery.
