Dr Simon A. Clarke
Senior Lecturer
Dr Simon A. Clarke's PhD, Motif, Pattern, Colour and Text in Contemporary Kanga Cloth involved fieldwork in Eastern Africa and drew on methodologies from visual anthropology, material culture and creative practice as research. Dr Clarke is a practising artist and author working on disciplinary specific as well as trans-disciplinary projects that can be situated in relation to printed materials, photography, painting and digital arts in African, British and broader international contexts.
He has presented papers on African art at venues that include Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford; Fowler Museum, University of California Los Angeles, University of KwaZulu-Natal, The Harn Museum, University of Florida and the Victoria & Albert Museum. His work has been exhibited internationally for example in the innovative Artists at Work, New Technology in Textile and Fibre Art, Museo Del Tessuto, Prato, Italy, His digital art pieces have been showcased in seminal publications such as Techno Textiles 2, Sarah Braddock Clarke and Marie O’Mahony (Thames & Hudson).
He has contributed towards international publications for example East African Contours, Reviewing Creativity and Visual Culture, Hasan Arero and Zachary Kingdon, (The Horniman Museum). He has published a number of books, which include Print: Fashion, Interiors, Art (Laurence King), 2014. Life Itself: Photography and South Africa (Reaktion Books), 2025, The later project involved fieldwork visits to South Africa and included interviews with iconic photographers such as the late David Goldblatt and Roger Ballen. This project provided access to significant archival material at, for example, National Library of South Africa, South African National Gallery, and University of Cape Town. The book was launched at The Photographer's Gallery, London and at David Krut Projects, Johannesburg among other venues. Dr Clarke’s new book project is British Photography: A Bigger Picture, which explores this expansive topic from both national and international perspectives.
He has also contributed artefacts and photographs from his private archive towards the Africa Fashion touring exhibition curated by the Victoria & Albert Museum which has been showcased at venues such as the Brooklyn Museum and Musee du Quai Branly.
Dr Clarke has lectured at a number of institutes such as Goldsmiths, University of London, Kenyatta University, California College of the Arts and Savannah College of Art and Design. He has been an external examiner at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral research levels. He welcomes expressions of interest to undertake doctoral research in African Photography Archives and African Textile Archives.
External Links
Qualifications
Qualifications
| Year | Qualification | Awarding body |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | PhD (Motif, Pattern, Colour and Text in Contemporary Kanga Cloth: An Analysis and Personal Response) | Birmingham City University |
| 1987 | MA Textiles (Print) | Birmingham City University |
| 1986 | BA(Hons) Printed Textiles and Decorative Surfaces | Middlesex University |
| 1983 | Art Foundation Diploma | Falmouth College of Art and Design |
Research Interests
Research interests and expertise
Research expertise reside in African Photography being a published author in this subject as well as in African Textiles which aligns with doctoral research and participation in international exhibitions in this field. Creative Practice as Research draws on contemporary theories and methodologies and blends printed materials, photography, painting and digital technologies in the making of multi-media art and design pieces.
I am specifically interested in supervising students in African Arts subjects and those seeking to undertake a project that engages with creative practice as research in art and design fields.
Research topics:
- African Arts
- Photography
- Printed Materials
- Painting
- Creative Practice as Research
Research Outputs
Publications and research outputs
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Clarke, Simon
(2014), Print: Fashion, Interiors, Art, Laurence King Publishing, London, ISBN: 978-1-78067-167-3, Item availability may be restricted. -
Clarke, Simon
(2011), Textile Design, Laurence King, London, ISBN: 978-1856696876
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Clarke, Simon
(2013), Untitled (2009), In: Textile Design, Thames & Hudson Ltd, London, ISBN: 978-1856696876 -
Clarke, Simon
(2006), The politics of pattern: The interpretation of political and national iconography on kanga cloth, In: East African Contours: Reviewing Creativity and Visual Culture, Horniman Museum Press, UK, pp. 85-97, ISBN: 1903338026
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Clarke, Simon
(2011), Vernacular, Transitional and Modern Architecture in East Africa, Pitt Rivers Museum (Oxford University)/Fowler Museum (University of California, Los Angeles)
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Clarke, S
(2009), 'Colour Structure 1'/'Repeat Structure 2', Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milan
Externally funded research grants information
| Collaborators | Currency | Funder | HESA Category | Project title | Value | Year ending | Year starting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research award from the British Institute in Eastern Africa with match funding from University College Falmouth with subsidised flights provided by British Airways | Fieldwork into Kanga design on the Swahili Coast | 2002 | |||||
| Research award from the University of Northampton with subsidised flights by British Airways | Fieldwork into Kanga design on the Swahili Coast | 2000 | |||||
| Research award from the University of Northampton | Fieldwork into Kanga design on the Swahili Coast and Kenyan Highlands | 1999 |
Research Students
Current research students
- Wendy Kotenko, The knowledge embodied within the traditional and contemporary woven textile techniques of the Amazigh (Berber) people of North Africa, (Director of Studies).
- Adebukola Taiwo, A Cultural Photographic Study of Yoruba Origins and Self-Preservation, (Director of Studies).
- Caroline Wheeler, The Space of Dress in Displacement: Portrait photography archives as a place for visual practice enquiry into the cultural agency of dress and adornment of Ugandan hosted refugees, (Director of Studies).
- Rosie Sherwood, Museum of Mass Extinction, Falmouth University, (Co-Supervisor).
Previous student supervision
- Paul Reynolds, A Practice-Based Inquiry into an Ontology and Taxonomy of Holes in Devore Lace, 2020, (Director of Studies).
- Becky Gooby, Crafting Colour: The Development of Methodologies for Digital Colour Printing in Textile Design. Department of Fine Print Research, University of West England, 2022, (External Supervisor).
- Simon Andrews, Innovation in hip-protector design: Challenging function, meaning and context, Falmouth University, (Director of Studies).
- Su Vernon, Design and Tactile Cognition: The Role of Design and Haptic Perception in Supporting Well-Being, Falmouth University, (Director of Studies) (post viva amendments).
Number of research students supervised to completion
4Research degrees examined
I have examined one PhD Winchester School of Art, University of Southhampton, one PhD at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia and one PhD at Falmouth University.
Number of research degree examinations
3Teaching
Areas of teaching
- African Studies
- Anthropology
- Art, Design and Craft Innovation
- Design and Global Impact
- Design Thinking and Methodologies
- Sustainability
- Material Futures
- People and Material Culture
- Photography
- Printed Textiles
- Printmaking
- Research as Creative Practice
Courses taught
- BA(Hons) Textile Design
- MSc Design Innovation
Professional Engagement
Independent professional practice
Publication of the Book: Life Itself: Photography and South Africa, Reaktion Books, Febraury 2025
Currently External Examiner for MA Textiles, University of the Creative Arts
Contribution of artefacts and photographs for the international touring exhibition Africa Fashion curated by the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2022 -2026.
Venues include:
- Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK, 2022-23
- Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA, 2023
- Portland Art Museum, Portland, USA, 2023-24
- National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, 2024
- Field Museum Chicago, Chicago, USA, 2025
- McCord Stuart Museum, Canada, 2025-2026
Engagement with professional associations and societies
- Member of the Arts Council of the African Studies Association
- Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute
External Examining:
- 2011- 2014 BA(Hons) Textiles: Design and Innovation, School of Art, Loughborough University
- 2013-2017 MA Fashion, MA Textile Design, MA Fashion Accessories and MA Surface Design, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, Birmingham City University
Professional esteem indicators
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| Saatchi online Gallery Artist |
