Simon lives in West Cornwall, England which is a recurring influence on his creative practice. He has also lived in Africa, lecturing in fine art at Kenyatta University. His doctoral research into east African textiles used fieldwork photography as a method to record cloth in cultural contexts on the Swahili Coast. More recently he has undertaken research in South Africa for the book project Life Itself: Photography and South Africa, (2025) interviewing the late David Goldblatt, Omar Badsha and Roger Ballen among other photographers. Simon is the author of several publications and has exhibited and lectured overseas. In addition, his own work has been showcased in international publications. A number of artefacts and photographs from his own archive are currently in the touring exhibition Africa Fashion curated by the V&A Museum.
