Hi, I’m Simon Ward, a video maker and animator from Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.
I make music videos, sometimes co-direct the animated comedy series Aroha Bridge with Jessica Hansell through Piki Films and collaborate a lot with visual artist Jess Johnson, turning her drawings into animated artworks … in a variety of forms including video, VR & fulldome films … even sculpture.
This tumblr blog has a bunch of behind the scenes pics from past work.
More up to date things on instagram and bluesky
Contact at simonmcward@gmail.com
SELECTED PRESS
AROHA BRIDGE
Hayden, Leonie “Coco Solid on the return of Aroha Bridge and the fight for Ihumātao” The Spinoff, July 25th, 2019
Lopesi, Lana “Finally, a TV series that reflects intelligent young brown people – and foretells Ihumātao” Noted, Aug 22 2019
Aoake, Miriama “A Crock-pot of Crack-ups: On Aroha Bridge” The Pantograph Punch, Sept 9th, 2019
Behan, Alex “Why Kiwi animation will never be the same after Aroha Bridge” Stuff, July 25th, 2019
WORK WITH JESS JOHNSON
Frasier, Suzanne. “Terminus: Jess Johnson and Simon Ward,” Un Projects, September 27, 2018.
Lyon, Hester “TERMINUS at Heide Museum of Modern Art,” Vault: Australasian Art & Culture (website), 2020.
Wilson, Emma Kate. “Jess Johnson: Worlds Within Worlds,” (interview), Ocula, 15 November 2019.
Wallen, Doug. “A Surreal Psychedelic VR Adventure Comes to Heide,” Broadsheet (website), 14 November 2019.
Smith, Andy. “Jess Johnson, Simon Ward Bring ‘Terminus’ to Heide Museum,” Hi-Fructose (website), November 6, 2019.